Promoting Internet Access

Thanks to the Internet Development programme, the African Union (AU) benefited from technical assistance in establishing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in its member states. The aim was to keep Africa’s Internet traffic local to the continent by establishing both National and Regional IXPs. To achieve this, 60 community mobilization and technical workshops were organized in 30 African countries.

As part of this programme, the Internet Society works with the African Network Operators Group (AfNOG) to organize a hands-on technical training workshop. Held every year since 2000, the AfNOG workshop offers advanced training to people developing and enhancing Internet-connected networks, both regionally and internationally. In 2016, the workshop attracted more than 300 participants, including Internet Service providers, telecommunications companies, government officials, regulators, civil society, and research and education specialists. Topics related to e-commerce included cyber security and mobile networking, and the event was also an important opportunity for participants to exchange with peers.

Since 2008, additional training has been organized at a local level, with sessions focusing on more advanced technical issues. In its first 5 years, this initiative trained over 1,500 people from 15 different countries.