[Community-Discuss] "Fighting Internet Shutdown" - Any Role for AFRINIC?

[Mark Elkins]

On 20/04/2017 14:28, Noah wrote:
> Hi Badru
>
> People are talking about targeting executive branches of governments
> not knowing that most of the shutdown that have happened in the past
> including the one in Cameroon has a lot to do with the local countries
> politics, policies and regulation. Some countries governments don't
> shutdown the internet but they have some crazy regulations that censor
> the cyber space that you would not even want to live there.
>
> For any organization to get number resources, the applicants are
> vetted by AFRINIC against their countries regulations (license of
> operation) which are a prerequisite for getting the IP resources from
> AFRINIC. This kind of relationship has existed between AFRINIC and all
> regulatory bodies in all countries that AFRINIC serve. What this
> basically mean is that if the country decided to deny an entity a
> license to operate, that entity cant access number resources from
> AFRINIC which means its only the local regulations that determine
> internet development, expansion and freedom and not AFRINIC.

Ah - but this is not necessarily true. In South Africa, we were getting
IP resources before there were ISP licenses. You also don't need an ISP
license to do Web Hosting - and as I understand, neither the ZACR or DNS
in South Africa have ISP licenses - but run the ccTLD between them. 
Both organisations have their own address space. The same goes for JINX
(CINX/DINX) the ISPAs exchange points. No licenses. Some people with
their own infrastructure at Teraco (data warehouse) - no licenses - but
they have address space. Universities don't have licenses either. That
probably holds true for all African countries. I'd guess End users
generally fall into this category. I guess governments do too.

AFRINIC staff  use there best ability to decide on the requirements. a
License is a reasonably easy criteria to ask for but I believe that if
AFRINIC was aware that the government was not playing fair - then
licenses would not be a criteria to getting address space. However, if
you apply as an ISP and need a license but can't operate in that country
- then I guess you wouldn't need address space.

I am sure if you have a college and apply to AFRINIC - you'll be able to
get address space.

> Dont bite the hand that feeds you. I rest my case...
>
> Noah
>
> On 18 Apr 2017 5:44 p.m., "Badru Ntege" <badru.ntege at nftconsult.com
> <mailto:badru.ntege at nftconsult.com>> wrote:
>
>     +1  Noah well put. 
>
>      If we do not seek to understand through dialogue we become the
>     same as those forcing shutdowns where unfortunately for us in
>     reality we have very limited bargaining powers with a sovereign
>     state.  As much as we might want to think otherwise.
>
>     Regards
>
>  
>
>
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-- 
Mark James ELKINS  -  Posix Systems - (South) Africa
mje at posix.co.za       Tel: +27.128070590  Cell: +27.826010496
For fast, reliable, low cost Internet in ZA: https://ftth.posix.co.za

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