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

[Andrew Alston]

I also point out that there is nothing in any AfriNIC policy that requires an entity that is requesting space to have a license of any form, unless I have missed it – it may be something being asked for – but it’s not in policy and it’s not in the bylaws to my knowledge.

If anyone knows differently, please can you show it to me – because that’s an issue that I’ve argued for a long time

Andrew


From: Mark Elkins [mailto:mje at posix.co.za]
Sent: 20 April 2017 16:40
To: community-discuss at afrinic.net
Subject: Re: [Community-Discuss] "Fighting Internet Shutdown" - Any Role for AFRINIC?




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

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