Comments re: DNS Industry in Africa

[Marc - TRS <marc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Amy,

Below are my comments and suggestions for supporting Registrar growth in 
Africa.
The point has been raised that an increase in Accredited Registrars in 
the region is perhaps not the best measure of the development of the 
industry, and that internet penetration, freedom and commerce overall 
are more pressing issues.Whist this is almost undoubtedly true it should 
still be noted that an important role is played by Registrars, be they 
accredited or reseller, in internet advocacy, promotion and educating 
the wider public about the DNS industry and e-commerce opportunities.
Domain Registrars offer a host of additional products as well as domain 
names that assist a business or individual to develop a web presence, 
they also offer support and advice that is tailored to their target 
markets and its particular needs and challenges.Having local Registrars 
that are focused on the needs of the local market (local payment 
gateways, marketing etc.) is therefore important.Whether they are 
accredited or not is not really the issue, it is the services and 
education they provide that is important for promoting the industry.
Aside from economic circumstances in Africa, which I do not have first 
hand knowledge of, I can suggest from own experience of managing the day 
to the day operations of TLD Registrar Solutions, that the following 
areas may represent a barrier to entry:
-Most Registrar instruction, both at ICANN and the GTLD Registries, is 
vague and difficult to interpret.When support is needed phone numbers 
can be hard to find and very often only available in a local number.Very 
clear actionable insights, particularly in regards to compliance, sign 
up processes, fees, etc. would benefit potential Registrars with little 
experience.
-Establishing credit at Registries is expensive, it is especially 
difficult for a business with low cash flow reserves who may have 
difficulty obtaining instant payments, i.e. c/card or online from their 
client base.It is my understanding that this is difficult in some 
regions of Africa, a PAYG system at Registry level would lower the risk 
for start ups
-OT&E testing requires a high level technical knowledge and in most 
cases needs to be completed prior to the issuance of live Registry 
credentials (along with credit).Most Registries offer a web interface 
where purchases can be made through a Registrar account, this might be 
the preferred option for start-up businesses until technical knowledge 
can be afforded.  Removing the OT&E requirement would allow this.
Addressing the above would allow a Registrar business to serve its 
client base, albeit in a very manual fashion, soon after gaining ICANN 
accreditation and with a lower financial risk.It might encourage more 
businesses to dip their toes in.
A few other ideas that may benefit the creation of local registrars:

Ready access to a mentorship program that involves ICANN accredited 
Registrars.An element of these mentors should aim to include those 
Registrars whom have utilised the various reseller options available to 
them to first establish a web services business, and have then moved 
onto accreditation.
Engage with local CCTLD Registries and encourage a broader offering of 
services through a secondary Registrar business.
Engage with multinational businesses with a large presence in Africa and 
encourage localized Domain and DNS management.
To be included in any outreach, a clear demonstration to potential 
Registrars of the benefits of creating a Registrar business along with a 
case study which show the success of an established Registrar business 
under similar circumstances to that of the potential Registrar.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to comment and all the best 
with the endeavour.
Regards,

Marc

--
Marc McCutcheon
Operations Manager
TLD Registrar Solutions
+44.2034357304
tldregistrarsolutions.com
dominic.domains