Three New Root Servers Installed in the Region with the Support of LACNIC

28/04/2021

With the support of LACNIC’s +Raíces Program, organizations and academic networks in Argentina, Guatemala and Suriname have installed new copies of the I-root server managed by Netnod. This will allow improving critical Internet infrastructure in each of these countries and in the Caribbean region as a whole.

Each of these copies will increase the efficiency of DNS queries in those countries and allow a better response to potential DDoS attacks against the DNS or eventual Internet operational failures in those territories.

The I-root servers were installed at ARIU, the Association of University Interconnection Networks of Argentina, Telesur of Suriname, and the Internet Exchange Point (IXP) of Guatemala.

“In our efforts to provide a better DNS service to the region of Latin America, Netnod has been lucky enough to partner with LACNIC. With LACNIC’s knowledge of the regional Internet ecosystem and our experience in the implementation and operation of DNS infrastructure and services, ours is an excellent partnership through which Netnod and LACNIC continue to improve DNS services in all the right places,” noted Lars-Johan Liman, Senior Systems Specialist at Netnod.

These I-root servers were deployed within the framework of an agreement signed between LACNIC and Netnod based on their shared vision regarding the role that root server copies should play in Internet security, stability, and resilience.

The IXP’s experience. According toMarco Antonio To of IXP.GT, Guatemala’s recently created Internet Exchange Point is growing both in terms of the number of members as well as in terms of the services it offers. “We are very grateful for the help of the Latin American community and especially of LACNIC, which has been key in the development and growth of our project,” he noted.

Likewise, he stressed that the root server is key to Guatemala’s Internet infrastructure. Because it is the first root server copy in the country, it strengthens Internet stability in Guatemala and the region.

The expert added that the root server is already operational, and the organization is seeing traffic flowing to and from it. “This means that our members are experiencing much faster domain resolution times, and this translates into an improved experience for end-users in Guatemala,” he concluded.

The main goal of the +Raices project is to install anycast root server copies in countries of the LACNIC region.

The program’s 2021 call for expressions of interest will remain open until mid-May. Click here for more information.