Caribe.Net

Caribe.Net, also known as Critical Hub Networks, is a telecommunications company that provides broadband Internet access, data center and telephone services in Puerto Rico. The company is headquartered in San Juan. On April 26, 2010 the company receive a $25.7 Million dollar federal award from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Puerto Rico Bridge Initiative.

History

Caribe.Net was founded in 1994 in Puerto Rico. It was the first internet service provider in Puerto Rico. Some of the services that the company offer for the first time in the island were:

• First commercial Internet access network
• First individual dialup TCP/IP service
• First to offer SLIP connectivity service
• First to offer PPP connectivity service
• First ISP to offer ISDN services
• First to provide v.90 services
• First to offer 24-hour technical support
• First ISP to offer online subscription services
• First ISP to offer online account management
• First LAN-based dial-up TCP/IP service
• First to provide commercial Internet access to companies
• First to offer T1 services
• First to offer Burstable T1 services
• First to offer Multi-T1 bonded services
• First to offer private IP network service (Intranet/VPN)
• First to offer Virtual ISP services (VISP)
• First Tier 1 backbone ISP
• First to use ATM/Frame Relay architecture
• First ISP to offer 100% guaranteed uptime for hosting services
• First independent facilities-based ISP
• First ISP to offer free peering
• First to offer guaranteed commercial quality of service (SLA)
• First to offer colocation services
• First Internet Data Center
• First ISP to offer Disaster Recovery Services
• First to offer in-room Broadband Services to tourism industry (HotelAccess)
• First to offer Wireless DSL
• First ISP to offer off-site, off-island secure backup services

In 1999, Caribe.Net was acquired by PSINet the largest independent facilities-based ISP in the world. In 2001 the company was acquire back by the original shareholders. Caribe.Net was also co-founder of the Internet Society of Puerto Rico and Network Access Point (NAP) of the Caribbean. In 2007 Caribe.Net teamed up with Voz to offer Enterprise-Level Telephone Services VoIP over Caribe.Net's Internet services.

In 2010 Critical Hub Networks Inc, received a $25.7 million ARRA grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce to bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs, and improve education and health care through the improvement of broadband Internet services in Puerto Rico. The project awarded is the Puerto Rico Bridge Initiative.

On February 22, 2011, Critical Hub Networks officially inaugurated the Puerto Rico Bridge Initiative, which established the PRBI Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Congressman Pedro Pierluisi participated in the inauguration event.

References

External links

• Caribe.Net Official Site
• Puerto Rico Bridge Initiative Official Site
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration
• Congressman Pedro R. Pierluisi Inauguration Statement