Leading figures in African telecommunications call for governments to implement an Internet Robustness blueprint
A strategic plan to bolster the Internet infrastructure of Africa has been jointly endorsed by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the Internet Society (ISOC), and the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC). This Model Framework for Building Internet Resilience in Africa aims to enhance the continent's Internet stability and robustness, serving as an "insurance policy against digital darkness."
The framework focuses on three interdependent areas: Networks and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), critical infrastructure, and market conditions.
Networks and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
The framework emphasises the importance of ensuring that service providers maintain operations during crises. A key aspect of this is the development of a resilience plan by any entity crucial to a country's Internet ecosystem, such as electricity utilities, mobile network operators, ISPs, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), or domain registries. These plans must be prepared within one year of the framework’s adoption and reviewed annually.
Critical Infrastructure
Protecting essential components like power grids, undersea and terrestrial cables, IXPs, and country-code top-level domain registries is another crucial focus area. The framework aims to mitigate frequent disruptions like submarine cable cuts and power outages, which have caused wide-scale Internet blackouts in the past.
Market Conditions
The framework also addresses the need to maintain affordability and sustainable competition so providers can afford investments in backup systems and redundancy. This ensures that the Internet remains accessible and reliable for all Africans.
John Omo, Secretary-General of the ATU, urges member states to adopt this Framework and to be actively involved in its implementation. He warns that every blackout is a flashing red warning and that connectivity remains Africa's nervous system.
The Internet Society's Pulse platform, which curates and shares real-time data on Internet availability, resilience, security, and adoption, is a key supporting part of this Framework.
The implementation of the framework is urgently needed, as demonstrated by past incidents like the West Africa's four-cable snap in March 2024 and the six-hour nationwide power failure in Kenya in December. These incidents caused significant disruptions in Internet access, highlighting the need for improved resilience.
In essence, this framework is a continent-wide blueprint to fortify Internet infrastructure against shocks, protect critical systems, and ensure sustainable market conditions that enable long-term resilience and reliability of Africa’s digital backbone. The framework focuses on key elements such as redundancy, resourcefulness (adaptability), and rapid recovery to achieve overall network robustness.
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