Establishing ccTLDs in Africa - Overcoming The Challenges

1. Establishing ccTLDs in Africa - Overcoming The Challenges Michuki Mwangi President AfTLD AfTLD Meeting 7th, April 2008 Johannesburg, South-Africa

2. Definition • The Internet is part of a Country’s Virtual Real Estate • The ccTLD is one of the virtual real estate’s inherent natural resource • The resource should be developed for the benefit of all • As with any natural resource, governance issues are paramount • Therefore the right approach is fundamental in overcoming challenges

3. (Cont’d….) • Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) • There are 249 ccTLDs in the world • There are 58 million domain names under ccTLDs compared to 95 Million gTLDs • Representing a 33% growth in 2007 • Trend portrays the growth potential for upcoming ccTLDs • .ZA is largest in Africa and probably still amongst the top 20 ccTLDs in the world

4. Challenges • Representation • Neutrality • The Policy bit • The Technical bit • The ICANN bit

5. Representation • Is a contentious issue • Requires broad based consultations • Identify the Local Internet Community (LIC) or the Key stakeholders • Work out a mutually acceptable governance model • Mostly successful through lobbying and consensus building amongst the LIC • This yields a home grown/local solution

6. Deducing the Stakeholders • Government • Private Sector (Service Providers) • Academia • Civil Society • Legal fraternity

7. Their Roles • Government = Facilitator • Often seen as neutral but not always trusted • Out to represent the public interests • A resource for support and funding • Private Sector = implementers • Have the technical skills and expertise • Business centric - will ensure sustainability • Represent the private sector interests • A source of support and funding

8. (Cont’d…) • Academia = Ambassadors • A good source for staffing/Internship programs • Promoting awareness starts here for future growth • Capacity building activities • Perceived as neutral institutions • Civil Society = critics & mediators • Policy developers • middle ground between Govt. & Private Sector • Legal Fraternity = advisors • The legal issues and they are many! • Intellectual property, Privacy/Whois issues • Dispute resolution

9. Challenges • Representation • Neutrality • The Policy bit • The Technical bit • The ICANN bit

10. Neutrality • Neutrality is key to a ccTLDs success • Neutrality will yield autonomy • Autonomy promotes acceptance and Ownership • The ccTLDs location is a critical factor • The Governance structure should been seen as neutral/balanced

11. Challenges • Representation • Neutrality • The Policy bit • The Technical bit • The ICANN bit

12. The Policy Bit • Define the ccTLD registry model • A registry/Registrar, Open Registry or Hybrid registry Model • The dispute resolution, WhoiS Policy etc • Identify the sustainability model • Costing per Domain name • It’s a startup - Opt for effective and efficient model (nothing should be cast into stone) • Use of Internship programs

13. Challenges • Representation • Neutrality • The Policy bit • The Technical bit • The ICANN bit

14. The Technical Bit • Technical Skills & Capacity • Skill-set from ISP community • Requires ccTLD training • Internship at already established ccTLD is useful • Requires financing • Technical infrastructure • Connectivity is mandatory as per ICP-1 • RFCs provide technical implementation guidelines • Resources are mainly from the private sector/ISPs • Requires financing especially for hardware acquisition

15. (Cont’d…) • Registry Software • The registry software adheres to the ccTLD policies and not the other way round • Software development can be an expensive and time consuming process • Where possible avoid-reinventing the wheel • There are a number of Open-Source ccTLD registry software and some are going to be presented at this workshop.

16. Challenges • Representation • Neutrality • The Policy bit • The Technical bit • The ICANN bit

17. The ICANN/IANA bit • This is the last stage in implementing a ccTLD • Its not a challenge but a part of the process • It often however appears as the challenge since everyone starts here • And gets sent back to start at the representation stage • What does this process involve?

18. The process • The entity seeking re-delegation submits application for re-delegation. The application is accompanied by; • A completed ccTLD template • Documentation showing the re-delegation serves in the interest of the LIC • Documentation showing the skills & capacities of the entity seeking re-delegation • Legal company documents • Demonstrate support from Government or provide contacts • Upon receipt IANA reviews and tests template data • IANA will seek re-delegation approval from current ccTLD contacts

19. (Cont’d…) • Thereafter, all parties will negotiate and sign appropriate ccTLD - ICANN agreements • The IANA will then issue a report to the DOC and implements changes once they are approved • New ccTLD manager verifies changes and proceeds with service provision

20. What’s AfTLDs role? • To provide information on what it takes to implement a ccTLD or a re-delegation process • Provide guidance based on case studies and experiences (not solutions). • Facilitate technical capacity building events that relate to management of ccTLD registries. • Facilitate Internships with established ccTLDs • Facilitate with establishing secondary DNS servers hosts amongst ccTLD members in the region • Not picking sides! :)

21. Conclusion • The challenges are not in the technical implementation but on the Governance issues - For some this has taken years! • There’s need for boot-strapping initiatives to help most African ccTLDs get out of their current dilemmas. • Avoid too much talk or politicizing the process. Remember the devils always in the detail • Remember the ccTLD publishes a name - the value’s NOT in the name but its content - What’s in a name?

22. Thank you http://www.aftld.org president@aftld.org