Dear Friends of dotAfrica,
Compliments of the New Year to all our dotAfrica supporters!
The year has barely begun and already so much is happening. The dotAfrica team is gearing up for quite a number of activities and events for this year. The ICANN evaluation process is firmly underway, as can be seen in the timeline below. The dotAfrica team is still very much in the running and is positive of a successful outcome to the delegation of the .africa TLD.
The team recently held its first annual strategy session to prepare for the imminent launch phases stemming from the evaluation processes and delegation. The meeting was a huge success, and was resonant of the exciting times that are upon us. Much will be revealed in due course and we will keep you informed. Keep an eye on ‘Africa In One Space’!
In preparation for the launch we will publish our Sunrise and Landrush policies for comment, before implementation. We will keep you updated on that score.
Until next time, from the dotAfrica team…. Siyabonga!
dotAfrica Launch: An update
Over the past 12 months applicants for the new gTLDs have focused their attention and resources on the ICANN application process as outlined in the Applicant's Guidebook. This has been, from many accounts, a very daunting and stressful period for applicants, some of whom are new to the DNS environment and the complexities of being a Registry Operator.
While there were significant teething problems and much uncertainty at the beginning of the application process, it now seems that most of the applicants have found their stride and the way forward is becoming increasing clear. We now enter the middle to latter stages of the Application phase. The first new gTLDs could be delegated as early as August 2013. [read more]
ICANN Durban
In recent months a lot of attention has been given to ITU, ITRs, WCIT, to name but a few acronyms. What do they all mean? And what does this mean for the Internet industry as a whole. Let’s start off with defining the acronyms and also a description of these terms, what it all means for the Internet industry and why we should be concerned. The 47th annual ICANN meeting will be held at the International Convention Centre in Durban South Africa from the 14 – 18 July 2013. The dotAfrica team is especially excited to be part of the festivities and some of the events to be showcased at the meeting. Various preparations are already underway for this meeting, and the anticipation is definitely building up. [read more]
WCIT - An insider review from the dotAfrica team
World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) 2012
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) convened the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), from 3 to 14 December 2012 in Dubai to discuss changes to the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs). The ITRs are a treaty with a binding set of rules, developed to facilitate "global interconnection and interoperability of telecommunication facilities and to [promote] the harmonious development and efficient operation of technical facilities, as well as the efficiency, usefulness and availability to the public of international telecommunication services".
The ITRs were adopted as a single treaty at the World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference held in Melbourne, 1988 (WATTC-88). The regulations, which had not been revised since then, addressed high-level issues such as charging and accounting, liability, and taxation, providing a framework for international financial settlements for telephone call termination services, among others. They also aimed at providing efficient models to support universally affordable access. In the decades since the ITRs were adopted, the thrust of global economic policy has been towards increasing liberalisation and promoting competition across various industries, particularly the telecommunications sector. [
read more]
Profile: Vika Mpisane, member of the dotAfrica Project Team
Vika Mpisane is the CEO of the ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA), the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) manager of South Africa’s domain. He has broad experience in policy development in areas such as trade and industry, economic policy, labour, education and ICT development.
Since 2006 he has served on the Board of Directors (Excom) of Africa Top Level Domains (AfTLD), the association of African ccTLDs. Since 2009 he has served as the AfTLD’s President/Chairman, and has (since 2010) provided leadership of AfTLD’s positioning & involvement in the dotAfrica project. [read more]
6. Something fun
In keeping with the ICANN Durban theme, we would like to know how well you know the country you will be visiting for the 47th Annual ICANN meeting. This will form part of a series of quizzes to prepare for you for the meeting in South Africa.
www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/geography/The-Zulu-Kingdom-KwaZul-Natal-317024.html
Have fun!
Read the latest news from dotAfrica @ http://africainonespace.org/news/
You are most welcome to share your views with us @africandomain.
