presentation on "one billion people,54 countries,one domain name" at the east african...

.Africa 1bn people,

54 countries,

1domain

By Sophia Bekele

Executive Director

DotConnectAfricaFormer Policy Advisor,

ICANN

1. State of the African Internet use

2. The vision of .africa domain

3. The need for Africa Specific Domain

4. Strengthening ccTLDs – impact of .africa

domain

5. Who is DotConnectAfrica?

6. Organizational Structure

7. Governance Representation & Community

8. Achievements/Challenges

9. How do u get involved, aside from being a

consumer?

10.Next Step for you!

• AfricaEast African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

My passion

UNICT, UNGAID, UNECA, AU

www.sophiabekele.com

East African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Information Society

to

Internet Society

Computer Science is no more about computers

than astronomy is about telescopes.

- E.W. Dijkstra


The global Economy is reforming

• Affordable internet, phone, pc devises, prices, CapEx Vs. OpEx,

NGN

• Web 2.0 (social tipping point); Viral ; Cloud computing

• where one has a convergence of 70% of the planet bring

universal access and democracy of information

• Interesting business models and consumer reach and increase

in productivity

Opportunities

expand knowledge ,

creation capacity,

advances In science and health.


A Paradigm shift - Convergence Opportunities

Internet use has exploded globally

• more than 300% since 2000

• 1.4 million Internet users

• 3.6 billion people use mobile telephony just

over half of the world’s population

This intersection

– where users access the

Internet from their mobile

phones – maps a

revolutionary digital paradigm

shift


A Common VisionVision without action is a daydream.

Action without vision is a nightmare.

Japanese Proverb


EAIGF.africapaynet.africa mobilemoney.africa

lagos.africa safaricom.africa tourism.africa Si.africa

sunmicro.africa pesapal.africa

misys.africa

copycat.africa sevenseas.africa UnitedBank.africa

visa.africa salamon.ug.africa

safaricom.co.ke.africa

COMESA.africa ecobank.africa

citibank.africa Iveri.africab

Renaissancecapital.africa webtribe.africa Cybercrime.africa allafrica.africa

chamberofcommerce.africa KDN.africa

wildlife.africa icann.africa banking.africa eac.africamicrofinance.africa cooking.africa shoes.africa

Intrepid Data.africa mobicash.africa

USAID.afri gatesfoundation.afric dgi.africa.africa

2020 .africa GrameenFoundation.africa


• Currently, Internet users in the Pan-Africa and

African region only have the option of utilizing a

generic TLD (gTLD) whose registrants are dominated

by US and European individuals and businesses, or

country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) that are intended for

local use

• Current gTLDs also tend to focus on a vertical group

(e.g. commercial entities, network providers,

organizations , etc.) within the global Internet,

“.Africa” will embrace a horizontal perspective with

a clear brand to reach and enrich the broad global

community.• Africa

Need for Africa-specific domain


• Unlike ccTLDs, which provide for a local audience,

“.Africa” will allow the user to express membership in

the larger Pan African and African community.

• “.Africa” domain will also allow Africa to take its

rightful place alongside .EU, .ASIA and .LAC

• Also it complies with WSIS objectives on empowering

undeveloped countries using ICT, and fits as an ICT4D

project.

• “.Africa” complies with AU, ECA and ADB policy of

development for the continent. • Africa

Need for Africa-specific domain


• Africa

Strengthening ccTLds


• Offering of second level domain names by

cross marketing of domain names such as

.za.africa; .co.ke.africa; .et.africa;

ug.africa ; .ng.africa

• Elevation of ccTLDs to Continental and

Global Identity inherent in the Africa name

• Supporting goal of regional /continental

integration of National countries (ccTLDs)

Who is DotConnectAfrica ?

The Mission

• To sponsor, establish and operate a continental

Internet namespace with global recognition and

regional significance, dedicated to the needs of

the Pan-African and African Internet community.

• To operate a viable and technically advanced TLD

registry for the Pan-Africa and African community.

• To reinvest partial surpluses in socio-technological

advancement initiatives relevant to the Pan-Africa

and African Internet community; and


Organizational Structure

Is to be made up of different sponsor organizations:

• Sponsor Members

• Co-sponsor Members

• Businesses

• Non-profit - NGOs

• Other relevant community

organizations in the region


Interested Sponsor Members & Co-Sponsors

• African Union (AU)

• Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

• African Development Bank (ADB)

• Other Pan-African Organizations

• African Private Sector Actors

• African Non-Profits

• African Internet Actors

• National ICT Policy organs


Organizational Structure, cont’d.

Members will make up of Board of Directors

• The BOD will be advised on policy matters by an

Advisory Council

• AC will be populated by one representative from

each co-Sponsor organization.

• A proceeds Steering Committee (PROSCOM) will

be created and appointed by the Board to

oversee the allocation of surplus proceeds from registry operations.


Governance & Representation of Community

• The governance of the .Africa Organization is to be driven thru a multistakeholder representation and augmented by regional

and international expertise.

• Having direct and close involvement of many Governments,

Businesses , NGO’s ensures a wealth of knowledge and expertise

in the operational and policy management of a TLD registry in

the Pan-Africa and Africa region.

• Governance model is to be adapted from the Africa’s

development policy model augmented with other geo –TLD

names. The .Africa Organization intends to operate openly &

transparently.

• Public Policy consideration will include direct input from policy

makers , therefore consulting with the AU/ECA/ADB on policy

matters. • AfricaEast African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Chairman’s Advisory Council

Board of Directors

CEO

Functional VPs

Customer Support

Admin Staff

DCA Governance Structure

Marketing & Bus Dev

CO-Sponsor

members

• Businesses• Internet orgs

• IT org,

•Teleco

•NGO

•Non-profit,

•Other relevant

Africa-based

orgs

•Governments

Key Pan African

Sponsor Org

• AU

• UNECA

• ADB


Achievments to date

• Introduction to Regional Key African organs, and

Governments

• Endorsements by the African Union, Economic

Commission for Africa (ECA) and 20% of African Govt

• Travel Across Africa campaigning, 8 African countries

since February

• Established website with informative content showing

progress and prototype

• Established Newsletter to communicate status/activities

• Established presence on social media sites, Twitter,

Facebook , creating that “generation .africa”

• Mailing list of 600 & growing since February 2010

• Substantial Relevant African Media coverage

• Official Sponsor at ICANN 38 Brussels- The 1st African TLD

to sponsor International conference

• Sponsor/ East African IGF, Kampala Uganda • AfricaEast African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

Our promise of putting .africa

on the global digital map

.africa - the first African

TLD to be sponsored at an

International European

event – Brussels ICANN

38


Challenges!

• Political - continental project

• Adaption from existing gTlds, .com, .org

• Branding

• Cost

• Access to internet

• Good Infrastructure

• Capacity building/training


Challenges!

• Other African groupings that have resisted our applications

• A substantial misrepresentation of our initiative• PRIVATE SECTOR;

• U.S BASED;

• not an “ICANN” establishment;

• belongs to “individual”

• fake endorsement s

• Not being invited to relevant internet community platforms to

represent ourselves properly

• Blocked from posting to relevant community forums so as not

to share our work

• GeoPolitics of African countries, which would want host/registry in own countries

• Threaten our early endorsements • Africa


Why support the DCA initiative!

• Early applicants to the .Africa name to ICANN

• Early endorsements from the continental policy

makers

• Early endorsements from other stakeholders

• Diaspora Africans who are committed to the

continent bring transfer of knowledge & technology

• Multi-stakeholder governance model – Best Practice

• Non-Profit/Non-Partisan organization• (DCA is a TRUST registered in neutral country Mauritius

• Open/transparent initiative - over 15 Press Releases

since February 2010 disclosing our activities.

• Inclusive cross marketing opportunity for ccTLDs

• Support new African based gTLDs

• Team committed to building “generation.africa”

• Team committed to branding Africa in positive light• AfricaEast African Internet Governance Forum 2010– www.dotconnectafrica.org

NEXT STEPS!

• Host country Identification in progress

• Registry selection in progress

• Awaiting for ICANN to issue the application

of TLDs, mid Mrach

• Assemble a Working group

• Develop Ideas/discuss issues

• Champions in each region –• 6 regions ( EAC, COMESA, IGAD, SADC,

ECOWAS, CCAS)

• Hold our ongoing policy discussion


Internet Governance – The Policy Divide

"yea" or "nay"

yea" or "nay" on yea" or "nay" on "yea" or "nay"yea" or "nay

How many participants think “.africa” is a great idea?


One Club Policy - Global policy

DotConnectAfrica.org

Your African Mobile Identity

Contact us at:

[email protected]