1 The new Generic Top Level Domains, DotAfrica and what it all means – or might mean – for Africa and the world Andrew Mack Principal AMGlobal Consulting iWeek, September 2012

A tiny bit of history The build-out of the internet – from DARPA to ICANN What is ICANN? The existing structure: gTLDs and ccTLDs and their uses (and limitations) The expansion into Africa Africa’s evolving role in internet governance institutions – is there an African agenda? 2

Expanding the gTLD world Move to expand the number of gTLDs – the rationale and “other reasons” Opportunities for communities, for companies – the goals Outreach to emerging markets, or the utter lack thereof The JAS process – the hope and ultimate failure of applicant support 3

Lots of money on the table 4

The results The new gTLD space will be more densely northern than ever – catering to consumers in the OECD Very few community applications, limited IDNs.Zulu – who should operate it? A lot of brands, especially luxury brands A number of generics – with competition from Google, Amazon and others – but some real controversy 5

More results A messy situation, with some real unanswered questions – Who will get which names where there are as many as 13 applications for the same name? Does ICANN have the capacity to manage process, budget? Some real questions about business model and value o Who will buy a.sucks? o Do we really need more ways to get porn? o Won’t this just lead to more defensive registrations? o Won’t this just lead to more use of search engines? Is Google the big winner? 6

For Africa Only 17 applications continent-wide, few in Latin America as well… No African applicants for generic strings Q: is Africa once again missing out on a land grab? Why so few from Africa?? Q: will this lead to more outside influence over the internet in Africa? More confusion and complication for African users? 7

The bright spot – dotAfrica One of the only business models that makes obvious sense Makes sense as a way to reach an ever more integrated continent for African companies looking to be more than just.za or.ke Makes sense for businesses from outside, hoping to reach a specifically African audience – like a.Asia or.EU Makes sense as a focal point for any number of programs aimed at improving capacity Can it help with development? Hard to say… 8

In the final analysis What business models will make sense? How will consumers react? What if any real impact will there be – –for experienced netizens, for newer users –for governments and law enforcement –For the private sector –For economic development 9