[Community-Discuss] Spearheading Internet Development in Africa / Late commentary on fee discussion

[Coenraad Loubser]

Dear AfriNIC community

According to the ITU (2017) Africa has 739 million individuals without
access to internet infrastructure.

We write to you representing 70 individual community networks from 30
African countries, most whom are not yet AfriNIC members, but who each have
part of the solution to making available access to these areas where there
is very little formal economic activity and where no alternative options
exist, and where the internet can play a vital enabling role.

This letter has been under discussion during the past 4 months, and has
been the subject of almost 100 messages on external community networks
forums.

There is a class of Internet Service Provider that is not recognized by
AfriNIC. In order to allow us to draw in their resources to help building
out the invaluable resource that is the internet, as part of the AfriNIC
community, we would like to discuss a mutually beneficial proposal that will
play a huge role in setting up the next generation of ISPs in Africa -
and promote
an excellent platform for ISP- and IPv6 training.

We first contemplated proposing a definition for a Community Network
or Non-Profit
ISP, but having also worked with many small and competent ISPs, we
recognize their challenges and the benefits that having them in this
community can bring.

We would therefore like to propose, in line with simplest change possible,
the following additional amendment to the fee schedule that has been under
discussion:

3.6.5 An entity with annual revenues less than USD 350 000 that is required
to register as an LIR, such as a Wireless User Group, Community Network or
ISP will qualify for an additional discount of 40%.

Basic modelling shows that this can potentially require AfriNIC to give up
up to $40k annually, but could yield a surplus in excess of $100k annually
after a few years as these networks mature.

Alternately, a profit based model, which has not been explored as
thoroughly:

3.6.5 An entity with annual profits of less than USD 100 000 that is
required to register as an LIR, such as a Wireless User Group, Community
Network or ISP, will qualify for a discount of 75%.

Regards

-- 
Coenraad Loubser
Co Authored by Dr. Carlos Rey-Moreno

Office: <+27435552028> +27 (0)43 555 2028 <+27435552028>
Mobile: +27 (0) 73 772 1223 <+27737721223>
Skype: coenraad_loubser Twitter: @dagelf

*Zenzeleni Networks NPC *zenzeleni.net
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