THE INTERNET COAST DREAM GAINS CRITICAL MOMENTUM
Friday, June 16, 2000
Editorial, OPINION
Miami Herald Staff

The gods of e-commerce are smiling on South Florida. Nine telecommunications companies announced yesterday that they have committed to building a world-class Internet gateway in downtown Miami. This holds the same significance in the wired world that having an interstate highway come to town held for previous business generations.

If it develops as planned, the ``InternetCoast NAP of the Americas'' would mean significant jolts of high-tech business, jobs, urban revitalization and the ripple effects of this digital boom throughout Florida.
A NAP, or network access point, is akin to an international airport routing immense amounts of Internet traffic. This one would handle Internet traffic to and from the United States and Latin America, where Internet usage is exploding. The group says it has the momentum to build a ``Tier I'' facility, as big as NAPs come. Only four such NAPs exist in the United States, all catalysts for e-commerce.
The private telecom companies that initiated the dream - and will pay for the reality - earn commendation. They are EPIK Communications, a lead facilitator, Global Crossing, NetRail, 360networks, FPL FiberNet, Global NAPS, Level 3 Communications, NEXTLINK and AT&T.
Remarkably, these fierce competitors have seen that there is much more money to be made, in this case, by cooperatively building a facility to spur traffic and spin off e-commerce throughout the region. Yet they are taking a leap: This will be the first Tier I NAP built with private funding, not by the government. Even so, they have moved almost at Internet speed. Still they welcome other telecom carriers to sign on, the more the better for business.
Instrumental, too, in pushing forward the NAP has been the InternetCoast, a trade group founded by Jeff Kline and e-companies that wanted to spur South Florida's high-tech industry. Its NAP Committee and committee chair Richard Paul-Hus have been key players. Now the trade group is supported by the economic-development agencies of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which also are behind the NAP efforts.

The NAP venture still must nail down specifics, namely a site and management company. We have faith that, having come this far, the telecom companies will be able to iron out the remaining details.
Encouraging, too, has been the city of Miami's cooperation. Commissioners Art Teele and Johnny Winton have pledged to facilitate permitting and other needed processes. That's exactly as it should be, as Miami and its Park West area would be among the NAP's biggest economic beneficiaries. With so much to gain for so many in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, no effort should be spared.