Presentation on "One billion people,54 countries,one domain name" at the East African Internet Governance Forum

.Africa 1bn people,
54 countries,
1domain

By Sophia Bekele
Executive Director
DotConnectAfrica
Former 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!

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

My passion
www.sophiabekele.com

UNICT, UNGAID, UNECA, AU


Information Society
to
Internet Society

Computer Science is no more about computers
than astronomy is about telescopes.
- E.W. Dijkstra


Opportunities

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

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 Vision
Vision without action is a daydream.
Action without vision is a nightmare.
Japanese Proverb

• Africa

EAIGF.africa
paynet.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.africa
microfinance.africa cooking.africa shoes.africa
Intrepid Data.africa mobicash.africa
USAID.afri gatesfoundation.afric dgi.africa.africa
2020 .africa GrameenFoundation.africa
• Africa

Need for Africa-specific domain
• 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

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)
• Africa

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

• Africa

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
• Africa

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
• Africa

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.

• Africa

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. • Africa

DCA Governance Structure

Key Pan Board of Directors
African CO-Sponsor
Sponsor Org members
• AU Chairman’s
• UNECA • Businesses
Advisory
• ADB • Internet orgs
Council
• IT org,
• Teleco
• NGO
CEO • Non-profit,
• Other relevant
Functional VPs Africa-based
Customer
orgs
Marketing & Admin
Bus Dev Support Staff • Governments

• Africa

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 • Africa

Our promise of putting .africa
on the global digital map

Africa Leadership Retreat 2020 – www.dotconnectafrica.org

.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

• Africa

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 • Africa

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

• Africa

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

Internet Governance – The Policy Divide

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

"yea" or "nay"

One Club Policy - Global policy

Your African Mobile Identity

Contact us at:
Support@dotconnectafrica.org

DotConnectAfrica.org

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