Internet Service Providers' Association

About the hosts

The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA)

The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) is a non-profit South African Internet industry organisation. It was formed on 6 June 1996 and currently represents 128 Internet service providers with a diverse range of services and target markets. Members include non-profit providers and educational networks, as well as commercial service providers.

ISPA's Internet exchange

The ISPA is an active industry body, facilitating communication between Internet service providers in South Africa. Collaboration levels have historically been very high, leading to the formation of the Johannesburg Internet exchange (JINX) in 1996. This exchange point routes Internet traffic between different Internet access providers and serves as a means to keep South African traffic within the country's borders. This reduces the costs of international Internet links and provides consumers with improve access to South African networks.

Regulatory and policy activities

Since its launch, ISPA has played an important role in the development of South Africa's telecommunications and Internet policy. ISPA has participated in policy discussions and made numerous presentations to policy makers in a number of important legislative processes, including:

• VANS and PTNs licensing regimes
• Facilities leasing and interconnection guidelines
• Telkom rate review
• Telecommunications Amendment Act
• Electronic Communications and Transactions Act
• Regulation of Interception & Provision of Communication-Related Information Act
• Film and Publications Amendment Act
• Electronic Communications Act

ISPA produces regulatory advisories on issues of importance to the industry and makes these advisories publicly available via its web site.

ISPA and the South Africa community

The Internet industry believes that it should give back to the community at large. Many of ISPA's members provide cost-based or free services to educational organisations and other non-profit organisations.

In 2001, ISPA launched its own social development program, partnering with UniForum SA to provide Internet training to school teachers. Since inception, 1142 teachers have been successfully trained. Every year the Teachers' Training Award Ceremony takes place at iWeek. The awards recognise teachers who have participated in the skills project and successfully imparted their newly-acquired knowledge to the local communities.

http://www.ispa.org.za

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UniForum South Africa

Uniforum SA is a non-profit organisation tasked with the administration of the CO.ZA domain name space. With more than 300000 registrations, the majority of South African domain names can be found in CO.ZA. These names represent 95% of the total number of registrations in .ZA and a large percentage of African ccTLD registrations for the entire African continent.

Funds resulting from UniForum's domain registration activities are applied to education in the disadvantaged communities. Education is a common passion amongst the CO.ZA community as a sound education results in a more competitive economy and ultimately a better life for all the citizens of this country.

Through its participation in the Mindset, NetDay and ISPA projects, the organisation attempts to address learner education, educator development and the provision of IT infrastructure. UniForum's social development takes place under the CO.ZA Cares banner, honouring those parties who have registered CO.ZA domain names, thereby keeping our country ahead in the road to a better education.

http://www.uniforum.org.za

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About the Internet Society and its South Africa chapter

The Internet Society (ISOC) is a professional membership society with more than 150 organisation and 16,000 individual members in over 180 countries. It provides leadership in addressing issues that confront the future of the Internet, and is the organisation home of the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Internet Architecture Board, the Internet Engineering Steering Group, and the Internet Research Task Force.

Since 1992, the Internet Society has served as the international organisation for global coordination and cooperation on the Internet, promoting and maintaining a broad spectrum of activities focused on the Internet's development, availability, and associated technologies.

ISOC-ZA is the South African chapter of ISOC established in October 1997. It is a non-profit organisation, and does not speak for industry or any other vested interests. ISOC-ZA is inclusive (i.e. not restricted to Internet professionals) and members represent a broad cross section of the Internet community in South Africa. ISOC-ZA is building the South African Internet society through policy, community and outreach activities.

http://www.isoc.org.za

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iWeek is proudly endorsed by ISOC-ZA

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Should you have any queries please contact | iweek (at) ispa (dot) org (dot) za
or alternatively telephone +27.11.314.7751 | +27.83.327.4806