The workshop was part of the country’s capacity development

March 10, 2020 - The Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) and the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Oman recently joined forces to host a three-day training workshop as part of their collaboration on capacity development.

Held recently in Oman’s capital city, the event was organised to build the capacities of local stakeholders and assist them in the development of the Internet in the country. Local Internet Registries (LIRs), the RIPE Database, and the fundamentals of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) were the three main training courses.

During the LIR training on the first day, the attendees learned about the administrative procedures and policies related to managing Internet number resources and operating an LIR. The course also included a basic introduction to the RIPE Database.

On the second day, the purpose and objectives of the RIPE Database were expounded where participants were taught about the functions, scope, and importance of the RIPE Database. They learned how it works and how to update it. They also took part in various exercises and demonstrations that allowed them to practice their newly learned skills.

The last and final day saw the participants tackling the basics of IPv6. This training course elaborated on the imminent IPv4 run-out, the necessity to switch to IPv6, and how to prepare for the deployment of IPv6. Oman is the third country in the region to have started the implementation of IPv6 following Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.

Eng. Mohammed Al-Kindy, Vice president, TRA Oman, said: “Hosting the three-day workshop at our training centre was critical to expanding Internet connectivity in the country. Efforts toward this direction have been in full swing in Oman and we seek to fast-track our initiatives further. Capacity building is essential to our mission, making the training sessions even more imperative. We are happy with the results of the programmes and we look forward to holding similar initiatives in the future for continuous skills enhancement. We would like to thank the RIPE NCC for its commitment, assistance, and support.”

Chafic Chaya, Regional Communications Manager at the RIPE NCC, concluded: “At RIPE NCC, it is our privilege to partner with TRA Oman and jointly organise such training activities. We would like to extend our appreciation to them for helping make the sessions possible. The success of these activities in Oman shows that Oman’s Telecom and Internet sector is fully committed to furthering their engagement in the nation’s transition to IPv6”.

The RIPE NCC continues to develop training programmes and other initiatives to provide technical expertise related to the Internet’s infrastructure, and to raise awareness about major challenges in the virtual world such as IPv6 deployment, security, peering, and Internet governance issues.