Promoting Inter-ccTLD Cooperation in Africa - ISOC-NY

Promoting Inter-ccTLD Cooperation in Africa
4 MARCH 2016, Africa DNS Forum, MARRAKECH
Pullman Palmeraie Hotel, Marrakech, Morocco
Neil Dundas
neil@dns.business
Lessons from the land of Mandela
SOUTH AFRICAN COAT OF ARMS - MOTTO
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Upun&l2000themo/oontheSouthAfricancoatofarmsread:
“ExUnitateVires”–InUnityStrength
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Whenthenewcoatofarmswasintroducedin2000,the
mo/owasalsoupdatedandreads(translatedfromthe
Khoisanlanguage):
–DiversePeople,Unite
Lessons from the land of Mandela
SOUTH AFRICAN COAT OF ARMS - MOTTO
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PursuingUnity(collabora&onandharmonisa&onamongstccTLDs)
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EmbracingDiversity(gTLDsareafactoflifeandabusinessreality)
African Market – Brief Overview
THE MARKET POTENTIAL OF THE AFRICAN REGION IS NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED
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Popula&on:closeto1,2billion
InternetUsers:over330million(29%penetra&on)
FacebookAccounts:closeto125million
Source:www.internetworldstats.com
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54ccTLDscollec&velyaccountforapproximately1,5milliondomains.
Totaldomainmarketisunknown,butareasonable
es&matewouldaddafurther1,5-milliongTLDs?
ICANNhascommissionedastudyontheAfricaDNS
Market.Thisiscurrentlyunderway.
Currentlynotalargemarket,butitisresilientandseeing
rapidgrowth.
African Market – Brief Overview – cont. THE MARKET POTENTIAL OF THE AFRICAN REGION IS NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED
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5–10‘ac&ve’ICANNRegistrarsonthecon&nent.
Approximately1,000formalresellers(400inZAalone)
Asignificantpor&onoftheseresellersare(also)reselling
domains(mostlygTLDs)viaEUandUSbasedRegistrar
plaaorms.
Challenges for the African ccTLD Operator
THE LIMITED PARTICIAPTION OF THE AFRICAN CCTLD IN THE DOMAIN NAME MARKET
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Withfewexcep&ons,demandforAfricanccTLDshasbeen
poor.
Reasons,include:
•  Cumbersomeanduncompe&&vepolicies(eligibility
criteriaandpricing),
•  Opera&onalreliabilityanduniformstandards,
•  Inabilitytodevelopandretainrelevantskills,
•  Inabilitytoeffec&velyharnessthedistribu&on
channel.
Result:
•  Markethassoughtviablealterna&ves(gTLDs).
•  Underpinnedbyaresilientandgrowinglocal
resellerandregistrantcommunity.
Potential Solutions for the African ccTLDs
POLICY AND TECHNICAL HARMONISATION
• 
PolicyHarmonisa&on:Onaregionallevel,lookat
developinguniformandcompe&&vepolicesthatpromote:
•  Easieraccess(eligibilitycriteria);
•  Compe&&vepricing;
•  Adequaterightsprotec&on.
• 
Systems&Infrastructure:
•  Reliability;
•  Predictability(standards);and
•  Automa&on,
•  [notadifferen&a&ngfactoranymore]
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Promo&on&Distribu&on:
•  Developandcommunicateyourvalueproposi&on;
•  Welcomelocalandregionalresellersintothefold;
•  Breakdownbarrierstoentry(price/technical).
Africa DNS Market
CCTLDs WORKING INDPENDENTLY
±54ccTLDRegistries
Africa DNS Market
LOCALISED AND INSULAR ECOSYSTEMS
LocalReseller/
Registrar/Registrant
community
(inAfrica)
Africa DNS Market
NETWORKING THE NETWORKS
Providedwepursuepolicy
harmoniza&on,wecanstart
workingtowardsaunifiedAfrican
ccTLDecosystem.
“ExUnitateVires”–InUnity,Strength
Africa DNS Market
CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
EmbracingDiversity
gTLDs
X
Y
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