The recently launched Africa DNS market report by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) highlights Africa’s potential and challenges in the global Internet space, noting significant hurdles that hinder its full integration into the global Internet landscape. Despite remarkable strides in international bandwidth and domain registrations, the report underscores infrastructural gaps, limited awareness, and policy obstacles as key impediments to digital inclusivity.

While Africa boasts impressive growth in international bandwidth, the continent’s internet infrastructure development remains uneven. The report highlights this by showcasing the distribution of Internet Exchange Points. Internet exchange points (IXPs) are essentially neutral meeting physical places for Internet traffic. Located in physical data centers, IXPs allow different networks, like internet service providers (ISPs) and content delivery networks (CDNs), to connect and exchange data directly with each other. This creates a more efficient way to move information around, keeping traffic local and reducing reliance on expensive long-distance connections. Overall, IXPs help to improve internet speed, stability, and affordability.

As of October 2023, only 38 of 54 African countries have an IXP, indicating that 16 countries still rely on expensive international links to route their local internet traffic. This significantly increases costs and hinders efficient data exchange within the continent. However, there are positive developments. Countries like South Africa and Tanzania lead the way with multiple IXPs established within their borders. This fosters a more interconnected local internet ecosystem, potentially leading to lower costs and improved internet speeds. Additionally, the recent establishment of an IXP in Chad demonstrates a growing commitment to improving internet infrastructure across the continent.

Overall, the IXP distribution paints a clear picture: Africa has a long way to go in developing its internal internet infrastructure. While progress is being made, significant investments are needed to ensure all African countries have access to efficient and affordable internet exchange points.

Africa’s Encouraging Domain Name Growth: 

The country code domains act as a built-in sorting system for the internet. They organize the web by region by indicating a website’s geographic association. This benefits users by making local information discovery smoother, and it aids search engines in delivering geographically relevant results, promoting a more efficient and user-friendly online experience.

Despite lagging behind other regions in internet infrastructure development, Africa has witnessed a positive trend in domain name registrations. The continent saw a 22% increase in ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) between 2017 and 2023, translating to a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.4%. This growth signifies a growing digital presence and bodes well for the future of internet adoption in the region.

However, it’s crucial to analyze this growth within context. While a 22% increase over six years is encouraging, it also suggests a relatively low starting point. Compared to the global average of 45 domains per 1,000 people, Africa stands at a mere 4.4 domains per 1,000 people. This highlights the significant gap that still needs to be bridged.

Furthermore, while positive, the CAGR of 3.4% is a relatively modest growth rate. To truly bridge the digital divide, Africa might need to explore ways to accelerate this growth.

Africa’s Encrypted DNS Landscape: 

The report indicated that Africa’s internet landscape throws a surprising curveball regarding DNS encryption protocols. While the continent boasts an above-average adoption rate of the QUIC protocol, known for its speed and security, DoT (DNS over TLS), a more established secure protocol, lags far behind. This is further compounded by even lower DoH (DNS over HTTPS) adoption despite Africa’s strong showing in this area.

Senegal stands out as a champion for DNS encryption, with a near-universal (95%) adoption rate of either DoH or DoT. However, this trend doesn’t hold true for the rest of Africa.  Only 19 out of 54 countries have implemented any form of DNS encryption, leaving a significant portion of the continent vulnerable to unencrypted DNS traffic.

This scenario presents a fascinating puzzle.  On one hand, Africa’s preference for QUIC, which inherently encrypts data, suggests a growing awareness of the importance of online privacy. However, the low DoT and DoH adoption paints a different picture.  DoT and DoH offer a more standardized and flexible approach to DNS encryption, raising questions about why they haven’t gained traction.

One possibility is a lack of awareness or understanding of the benefits of DoT and DoH compared to QUIC.  While QUIC offers encryption, it’s still a relatively new protocol, and its advantages for DNS specifically might not be widely known.  DoT and DoH, on the other hand, have been around longer and might be more readily understood by network administrators.

Another factor could be technical limitations. DoT and DoH rely on specific ports (TCP 853 and 443 respectively), which might be blocked by firewalls in some African countries. QUIC, on the other hand, utilizes the same port as HTTPS traffic, making it potentially harder to detect and block.

It’s important to remember that this data only represents 19 countries.  The remaining 35 might be in the process of implementing DoT or DoH, or they might be taking alternative approaches to securing their DNS traffic.  Further research is needed to understand the full picture.

DNS Registration and IP resources: 

A closer look reveals a continent of contrasts. Though the number of accredited registrars is lower than in other regions, Africa has witnessed significant growth in domain registrations, particularly in countries with well-developed local hosting and web development sectors. This highlights the crucial role these sectors play in stimulating domain adoption. However, the stark reality is that most African countries lack local hosting, forcing them to rely on external infrastructure raising concerns about data security and sovereignty.

Furthermore, Africa’s meager share of global IP resources, coupled with the uneven distribution of web content across the continent, underscores the existing digital divide. While the concentration of online content has slightly improved, significant digital inequalities persist, leaving many African countries lagging behind.

The “Country DNS Success Index”f offers a valuable tool to assess the health of national DNS industries, revealing factors hindering domain name adoption. Lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure, unfavorable policies, and limited payment gateways emerge as key roadblocks to wider internet access and domain utilization.

However, the report indicated that there’s a beacon of hope: the exponential growth in international bandwidth is a testament to Africa’s commitment to bridging the digital divide. This positive development paves the way for enhanced connectivity and online opportunities. However, addressing the “last-mile” connection issue remains critical. Fostering competition in local internet service provision and promoting the development of internet exchange points (IXPs) are crucial steps in ensuring affordable and accessible internet for all Africans.

Efficient data exchange within the continent: 

The report highlights two key factors contributing to the increased efficiency of data exchange within the African continent: 1) Growth of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). Despite historical cost advantages of international transit, the report points out a reversal in the trend in the last five years. IXPs offer a shorter path for data exchange by keeping traffic within the continent, leading to reduced costs, higher reliability, and alternative routes. This is particularly crucial for landlocked countries seeking to connect with neighboring regions. 2) Emergence of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): The report briefly talks about the significant impact of CDNs in reducing the physical distance between users and online content. CDNs minimize latency and offer faster loading times by storing local copies of frequently accessed content. 

Feedback

The ICANN Africa DNS market report reveals a promising continent on the verge of an internet boom. While domain registrations and international bandwidth are surging, achieving full internet inclusivity remains a distant goal. The culprit? Uneven internet infrastructure. Many African countries lack efficient internal internet exchange points (IXPs), forcing them to rely on expensive international routes for data exchange. This not only drives up costs but also hinders the development of a robust local internet ecosystem.

The ICANN’s 2014 Africa Strategy proposed an “observatory” to monitor the continent’s DNS industry. However, this approach might fall short:

• Limited Scope: The observatory focuses on data collection (domain registrations, websites, IPv6 adoption). It overlooks crucial infrastructure issues like the uneven distribution of IXPs, a critical factor for efficient data exchange, hindering its effectiveness.

• Data Doesn’t Equal Action: While data collection is valuable, true progress demands actionable insights. The report’s focus on “tracking trends” might not be enough. Africa needs concrete strategies and investments to address IXP development, local service providers, and robust backbones – areas the observatory wouldn’t directly address.

Data collection provides a starting point, but Africa needs an action-oriented approach. This is where grassroots stakeholders – everyday citizens, community leaders, and small businesses – become vital. By including them in planning and implementation, African nations can ensure solutions address specific regional needs and challenges.

For example, grassroots stakeholders can provide insights into low ccTLD or DoT/DoH adoption rates. Are there cultural barriers? Educational campaigns delivered in local languages and utilizing familiar contexts could address this.

Furthermore, proactive steps towards standardized DNS encryption protocols are crucial. Unencrypted DNS traffic exposes user browsing habits, potentially enabling surveillance and control over access to information. This lack of encryption hinders the development of a truly free and open internet space in the continent.

Recommendations

1. Improve the Technical Functionality: The current technical limitations of DNS infrastructure within some African countries can hinder the effectiveness of ccTLDs. Upgrading to a more distributed, resilient and responsive system using modern DNS servers will improve performance and accessibility.

• Speeding up the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is critical, as it provides a much larger address space to accommodate future internet growth. 
• The establishment of regional Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) can further improve content delivery speeds for African users by caching popular websites and applications closer to their location. 
• Enabling robust support for IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names) allows for domain names in local languages, promoting cultural relevance and inclusivity. 
• And of course, investing in IXP peering coordination technologies will facilitate communication and management of traffic exchange between networks, promoting a more collaborative and efficient IXP environment. We may as well explore novel technologies to improve efficiency; blockchain could be a good example.

1. Creating a supportive Policy Framework: While technical advancements are crucial for ccTLD adoption in Africa, a well-crafted and contextual policy approach is the foundation for a healthy domain name market and a thriving internet ecosystem. As revealed by the report, the difference between the countries topping the chart and those at the bottom are the enabling policies and investment. We need policies, for example, to establish fair and transparent pricing structures for ccTLD registrations and renewals. This incentivizes wider adoption by making ccTLDs accessible to more businesses and individuals.

Policies can also encourage open access to relevant registry data. This benefits domain name registrars and resellers, promoting healthy competition and potentially driving down prices for consumers. Other issues like cybersquatting and domain name hijacking could be mitigated and addressed by policies developed by the regional and local internet registries in collaboration with their governments. This protects legitimate businesses and individuals from malicious activities, promoting a secure online environment.

1. Promote peering agreements: Encouraging agreements between different networks to exchange traffic directly at IXPs will improve efficiency. This could involve government support, private-private partnerships, and public-private partnerships.

Concluding remarks

The findings of the DNS report underscore a critical gap in Africa’s digital infrastructure, necessitating a comprehensive policy framework. The continent is currently at a significant disadvantage due to factors such as low internet literacy, insufficient public and private investment in internet expansion, and a global policy landscape that often overlooks its unique challenges. This analysis serves as a wake-up call for policymakers, internet service providers, and other relevant stakeholders. To bridge this digital divide, intentional efforts must be made to invest in infrastructure development, particularly in underserved regions. The strategic utilization of Universal Access Funds, which remain untapped in many African countries, is essential to achieving this goal, we can accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and unlock the full potential of the internet for its citizens if we can be more proactive in the initiatives in place.

Author: Sani Suleiman Sani, Programmes Officer, Paradigm Initiative