By Dr. Dawit Bekele, The Internet Society
With Africa importing almost 99% of its Internet traffic and with a consumer base of over 139 Million Internet users, the continent is facing what is known as an Internet Traffic Trade deficit or Transit deficit.
While similar to what was experienced in Europe and the United States during the late 1990s, African businesses and end-users also pay the high cost of local infrastructure. For example: Moving information from Johannesburg to London costs less than moving traffic from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
A scenario that not only stops local innovation and impedes economic growth, but it’s one that’s replicated across the entire continent.
But there are solutions.
Bringing people together via a forum for technical training, exchange of information, and networking can do so much.
AfPIF 2012 is this year’s key event for African businesses, policy makers and technical leaders. Taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22-24 August, and organized by the Internet Society, AfPIF will bring together an incredible mix of local technical experts, policy and decision makers, and businesses to be part of the solution to Africa’s interconnection challenges.
Our theme this year is “Regional Interconnection: Addressing Africa’s Internet Transit Deficit.”
The event is structured to help build national and cross-border interconnection opportunities by providing a forum where key players from infrastructure and service providers, IXPs, regulators and policy makers can engage in a relaxed but business-like environment. It’s all about sharing experiences and learning from experts in the field.
AfPIF is designed to:
- Promote the establishment of new, and the growth of existing, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) through building community co-operation and demonstrating the value of local, regional, and national interconnection.
- Bridge the information asymmetry with respect to Peering and Transit economics. The peering and transit fundamentals enable the development of interconnection relationships and strategies for operators at the local, regional and global levels.
AfPIF’s 2012 Programme and speakers will address specifics such as:
- Peering and Transit Economics
- How to peer and What’s in it for You
- Peering and Negotiation Strategies for Operators and Tools and Tricks of the Trade
- The Role Submarine Cables Could Play in the Interconnection of Africa’s Internet
- Terrestrial Capacity from Cape Town to Cairo: Reality or Illusion
- Exploring the Content Business in AfricaTransition of National IXPs to Regional IXPs and the Local Content Formula
What else does AfPIF do?
It Builds Most Critical Internet Resource Of All: People
AfPIF is a link in a chain of important Internet technical community efforts to strengthen one of the most important critical Internet resources: People.
It is through informed and trained professionals that lasting networks are built. Since 1992, the Internet Society has trained local experts around the world to achieve our goal of an open, accessible, and reliable Internet in emerging economies that is on par with the rest of the world. It is through partnering with stakeholders like – AfriNIC, AfNOG, the African Union, governments, companies – that we bring locally trained experts to support and sustain technical infrastructure around the world.
I would encourage anyone who’s a small or big business, policy or decision maker, local technical expert to come to AfPIF 2012. You can register in person or follow us online (LINK)
By “linking” people together we can find the solutions to an interconnected Africa.
