{"id":30041,"date":"2025-06-13T14:39:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T14:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lacnic.net\/?p=30041"},"modified":"2025-07-16T17:02:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:02:46","slug":"lacnic-rd-ambassadors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lacnic.net\/en\/lacnic-rd-ambassadors\/","title":{"rendered":"LACNIC R&D Ambassadors: Drivers of Internet Development in Latin America and the Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Guillermo Cicileo<\/a>, Head of Internet Infrastructure Research and Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local Voices Are Transforming Internet Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year ago, LACNIC launched the first edition of its Research and Development (R&D) Ambassadors Program with the goal of identifying, training, and supporting new technical leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative seeks to strengthen the development of an open, stable, and secure Internet by empowering professionals to become leaders within their local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During LACNIC 43<\/a>, we welcomed the first cohort of R&D Ambassadors<\/a>: Andr\u00e9s Cort\u00e9s, Celsa S\u00e1nchez, Hern\u00e1n Samaniego, Richard Huchani, and Raitme Citterio. Each ambassador led a technical project in key areas such as Internet measurement, routing, DNSSEC, RPKI, and IPv6, with a strong community-based component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chile: Expanding the Measurement Network and Strengthening BGP and RPKI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the highlights of the program is the experience of Celsa S\u00e1nchez of NIC Chile, who led a project for expanding the RIPE Atlas measurement network and promoting the adoption of BGP, DNSSEC, and RPKI in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe started with 58 probes and finished with 84, reaching regions where there were previously no probes at all. This represents a 45% increase and marks a turning point in our monitoring capacity,\u201d S\u00e1nchez explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work<\/a> also included talks, meetings with providers, and collaboration with universities, combining technology, community, and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Costa Rica: Municipal Monitoring and Technical Leadership at the Local Level<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second R&D Ambassador to share his experience was Andr\u00e9s Cort\u00e9s<\/a>, head of the Information Technology Department at the Municipality of Carrillo, in the province of Guanacaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cort\u00e9s emphasized that, although municipalities are often the last link in the connectivity chain\u2014they are end users of ISPs and IXPs\u2014each actor who is part of the ecosystem has the responsibility to implement best practices and security measures such as IPv6, BGP, and RPKI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this commitment, a RIPE Atlas probe was installed in the municipal infrastructure to reinforce monitoring capabilities and participation in the global technical community. In his role as a LACNIC R&D Ambassador, Cort\u00e9s led promotional efforts that far exceeded the initial goals. While the original plan was to deploy four RIPE Atlas probes, nine were activated and two more were delivered to the National University. Two anchor probes were also installed: one at the municipality and another at the Coopeguanacaste cooperative. Thanks to this expansion, the Guanacaste region is now visible on global measurement maps, where no active nodes previously existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Bolivia: Increased Technical Capacity and IPv6 Adoption<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

LACNIC Ambassador Richard Huchani shared the outcomes of his participation in the program, underlining the interest and expectations that exist in Bolivia regarding the strengthening of technical capabilities and enhancement of Internet infrastructure, despite the existing gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolivia currently has 67 autonomous system numbers (ASNs), including universities, ISPs, local governments, and private companies. As an ambassador, Huchani worked with different stakeholders across the ecosystem, promoting initiatives focused on Internet measurements, the adoption of new technologies, and the strengthening of the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of his most notable achievements was the expansion of the RIPE Atlas project. In 2024, there were 12 active probes in Bolivia, and they were concentrated along the country’s central corridor (La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba). Thanks to his efforts, probes were installed in historically underrepresented departments, such as Tarija and Oruro, and their number increased in major cities, reaching a total of 23 active probes by the end of May 2025 and representing a growth of more than 90%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, IPv6 adoption in Bolivia increased from 20% to a peak of 31%, thanks to collaborative efforts with the banking sector, universities, and network operators. Huchani also highlighted the need to continue promoting best practices in RPKI, noting that at the start of the program over 95% of Bolivia\u2019s IPv4 prefixes and more than 90% of its IPv6 prefixes were already signed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Ecuador: Promoting IPv6 Deployment and the Installation of Probes<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hern\u00e1n Samaniego took on the challenge of promoting IPv6 deployment<\/a><\/a> in Ecuador, where initial resistance was common among local operators and technical professionals. Through a series of talks, workshops, and dialogue spaces, he managed to convert that distrust into interest, emphasizing the importance of IPv6 in light of IPv4 exhaustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Samaniego also promoted the use of Internet measurement tools, which had previously been largely unknown in Ecuador. His work has resulted in the installation of 18 new RIPE Atlas probes that have improved network monitoring capabilities and attracted the interest of other ISPs who would now like to participate in what he calls the \u201cprobe community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another milestone was the creation of a WhatsApp group that now connects more than 400 researchers and professionals from Ecuadorian universities and where technical resources, training opportunities, and calls for proposals are shared daily. This informal network has been key to strengthening the country’s technical community and sustaining interest in key Internet issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Venezuela: Promoting Best Practices and Strengthening the Region<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Raitme Citterio of Venezuela shared the results of his work<\/a>, which was coordinated primarily through the country’s network operators group, a forum that brings together large, medium-sized, and small players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work focused on three thematic axes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n