The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has officially unveiled the Coalition for Digital Africa (CfDA), aimed at expanding the Internet on the continent of Africa, reports ITREALMS.
Sources at ICANN informed ITREALMS that Africa has become home to the youngest population on the planet; 70 percent of whom are under age 30, and has one of the fastest-growing Internet penetration rates in the world.
"Internet connectivity is growing by leaps and bounds – from 1.2 percent in 2000 to 43 percent in 2021 – driven by a digitally savvy, young, and educated urban workforce for whom adopting and using online services is second nature," our sources declared.
According to ICANN President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. GÓ§ran Marby, "The Coalition for Digital Africa provides an opportunity for new ways of cooperating and collaborating among diverse stakeholders.
"Though the Coalition was initiated by ICANN, its success is dependent on synergistic work with other organizations – be they local, regional, or international – who are united in their aim to enhance Africa's Internet infrastructure, increase the rate of Internet access, bolster Internet security, and raise the level of participation from Africa in multistakeholder policymaking development."
In addition, ITREALMS gathered that the Coalition will further promote innovation aimed at building technical capacity and encourage entrepreneurialism by enabling people to access the Internet using their own languages and scripts. While its official launch took place during a press conference at the 17th annual Internet Governance Forum, the Coalition already has rolled out activities in pursuit of its goals.
Further, ITREALMS gathered that for ICANN in order to make the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure in Africa more robust will bring about rapid growth, thus the Coalition disclosed the installation of an ICANN Managed Root Server (IMRS) cluster in Kenya last month.
While another cluster, ITREALMS equally gathered, has been planned for a second location in Africa before end of 2023.
Network experts said that these clusters will enable regional Internet queries to be answered within the region, rather than being dependent on networks and servers in other parts of the world, whilst the IMRS clusters will also reduce the impact of potential cyberattacks in Africa.
For the Secretary General, African Telecommunications Union (ATU), Mr. John Omo, "The launch of the Coalition brings us one step closer to strengthening the Internet infrastructure in Africa. The Coalition provides an important vehicle to enable a better protected DNS and more secure Internet infrastructure in Africa."
Remmy Nweke/DoP
No comments:
Post a Comment