Principal Authors: Daniel Pimienta
Date of Publication: 1999-11-05
Date of HTML Modification: 1999-11-18
Original Language: Français
Regions: Haiti
Subjects: The Haitian Network
Type of Document: Editorials
See Related Articles

Santo Domingo, el 5/11/99

Note sent to various distribution list

Some days ago we have made an international call to protest against a brutal decision in Haiti which prevent the majority
of Internet users to access.

What happened since then? No progress. Furthermore, we got the feeling that only an international pressure could
trigger some changes, since at the national level, the efforts are getting tired.

- The cloesed company (ACN), after having tried succesively to use dialog, its customers and medias is now going to court
againt the regulatiry body and hence has silences publically. The fact it have get rid of the majority of its employees is
a signal of pessimism about short term solutions.

- The ISPs which strayed in operation do not have the capacity to deal wuth the demand from ACN customers (80% of the market). As a consequence, most of the users have remained without access, including the students of the University of Haiti.

- Some pilitical representatives has spoken out protestations, the same with defenders of free enterprise. However, people
appear now to let it go.

- Agreements have been settled between the regulatory body and the other ISPs, trying, with some success, to divide the profession so to avoid a front of protests from ISPs. Some level of intervention in thge market seems to be applied, not very
compatible with free market competitiom.

- Many papers in local newspapers has commented the situation. ACN has put statements in the press and the local Internet portals has expressed on the subject. However, the subject is losing space in the medias.

- Haiti's Embassy in Washington answered some days ago the various protest emails sent after our public call.

- Funredes has just answered the Embassy, from information we have gathered, to reject the arguments exposed in defense
of the closing of the main ISP (and Internet pioneer).

All of can be accesed in the page we try to maintain, on a solidarity basis: http://www.funredes.org/funredes/ht-tld.htm

On the other hand, Internet Society President voiced his worry and informed us he contacted the Haitian Embassy.

Without additional reactions from International solidarity, it seems that the game is over...
 

Daniel Pimienta - pimienta@funredes.org
FUNREDES - http://funredes.org

contact@funredes.org
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Networks and Development Foundation http://www.funredes.org/english/editoriales.php3/docid/350 Created 1999-11-05 - Updated 1999-11-18 Copyright © 1999 FUNREDES