ICANN board approves recommendations on new gTLD auction proceeds - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved recommendations of the Cross-Community Working Group on the new Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) Auction proceeds, reports ITREALMS. 

Confirming this to ITREALMS in his latest blog, the ICANN board chair, Maarten Botterman, noted that through this action, the Board accepted the ICANN community’s recommendations and looks to the ICANN organization (org) to start a new phase of work: design, planning, and implementing an ICANN grant-giving programme.

CCT draft recommendations for comments on new gTLDs

ITRealms:

The Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice (CCT) Review Team of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has submitted a draft recommendations for public comment on the new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs), ITRealms reports.

According to the draft recommendations, made available to ITRealms, the CCT Review Team examined the extent to which the introduction of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) has promoted competition, consumer trust and consumer choice in the domain name system.

Also, ITRealms reports that they assessed the effectiveness of the safeguards ICANN has implemented to mitigate issues related to the introduction of new gTLDs.

ITRealms gathered that the draft recommendations are now available for public comment till 27 April 2017 in anticipation that the feedback will be incorporated into a final report.

Equally, ITRealms reports that the review team findings include that new gTLDs currently account for about 9 per cent of registrations in all gTLDs, which suggests that registrants are making use of a broader range of gTLDs.

Just as over half of new registrations of gTLDs have been in new gTLD strings, CCT Review team noted that if ccTLDs are included, registrations are divided roughly into thirds among new gTLDs, legacy gTLDs and ccTLDs.

For the team, ITRealms reports that ICANN contractual compliance had reported that 96 per cent of registries are performing the analysis that is required to determine if they are being used to perpetrate security threats.

ITRealms discovered that at present, there is no mechanism in place to ensure that voluntary public interest commitments do not negatively impact the public interest prior to going into effect, hence, it is important for voluntary Public Interest Commitments (PICs) to be made available to the community during the public comment period of the application process.

Further, ITRealms reports that outreach programmes that were put in place to facilitate and encourage applications from the Global South were thought to be both poorly monitored and largely ineffective.

Nenye Dom/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Adesina advises media to learn from 2015 general elections reportage

PR@ITRealms:

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina Thursday formally presented the report of the media coverage of the 2015 general elections to the public with a call on the media practitioners to digest and learn from the recommendations.

 

Mr Adesina who spoke in Abuja while presenting the book, “Reportage of 2015 Elections: Monitoring Scorecard of Print and Online Media”, enjoined the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that it is widely circulated.

The project jointly undertaken by the International Press Council (IPC) and the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) was funded by donors- EU, UKAid, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development under the Democratic Governance fore Development (DGD) Project managed by the UNDP.

According to the Presidential Media Adviser, it was good that the 2015 electoral process was measured and evaluated, saying it would guide media practitioners in the coverage of future elections.

While noting that there were lapses in the media reportage of the last general elections, Mr Adesina however, posited that "the negatives and positives are work in progress”.

The UNDP’s Media Advisor, Mrs Toyin Gabriel, who also represented the DGD Project Director, expressed delight that after a long process, the IPC and NPC were able to produce a world class report that can stand the test of time.

She said the project was undertaken meticulously with a view to proving that there are Nigerian institutions that can deliver high value project. 

Mrs Gabriel said the stake was very high to deliver a product that the sponsors can be proud of and thanked the contributors for a job well done.

In his review prior to the presentation, the Director, International Press Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, said the scope of the project covered six-month period from November 2014 to April 2015.

He said 12 national newspapers were monitored during the period. They were- Daily Sun, The Nation, National Mirror, Vanguard, The Punch, ThisDay, Daily Independent, The Guardian, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Champion, Leadership and Daily Trust.

Also monitored were 10 regional newspapers - Nigerian Chronicle, Daily Star, Nigerian Observer, Nigerian Pilot, Abuja Inquirer, Peoples’ Daily, Blueprint, The Gleaner, Desert Herald, and Fresh Facts.

In addition, four online newspapers- The Tide, The Cable, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times as well as three social media platforms - Enough-is-Enough Nigeria, Reclaim Naija and INEC were monitored.

Mr Arogundade said “The period covered meant that it was possible to assess the performance of the concerned media outlets, prior to, during and immediately after the elections in the five topical areas of use of sources, conflict sensitivity, language use, coverage of issues and coverage of the election management body”.

 

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)
ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

FG inaugurates 19-man Broadband Council

Mrs Johnson middle flanked by members of the council

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 19-man Broadband Council to see to the implementation of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Broadband, which recently submitted its report.

Conducting the inauguration in her officer of the President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, Tuesday, July 16, said the Broadband Council is chaired by herself, while members will work on implementation modalities for the newly developed and approved Nigerian National Broadband plan for the period 2013 - 2018.

The inauguration of the Broadband council, Mrs. Johnson told ITRealms, represents an important and significant milestone in the implementation roadmap of the national broadband plan. 

According to her, the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Broadband Council include providing periodic reports on the progress of the plan, facilitating the coordination and collaboration of the various stakeholders during plan implementation, ensuring that relevant agencies, institutions, and the general public are actively engaged.

“Where necessary the Council shall highlight adjustment areas where needed in the execution of the strategy and roadmap,” she said.

The Broadband Council, Mrs. Johnson, pointed out, has both institutional, government and individual representation, adding that institutional representation is to ensure that the requirements of the industry are taken into consideration; such institutions are ATCON, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria.

On individual representations, she said, comprised of highly knowledgeable people who are extremely credible in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry and have shown a great passion to see to the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure in the country including the two former co-chairmen of the recently concluded Presidential Committee on Broadband, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and Mr. Jim Ovia.

Google and Microsoft, she said, represent a small section of the international partners strongly positioned to advance the broadband agenda, while the government institutions that have the direct mandate to deliver broadband to the country were also included namely the Ministry, NCC, USPF and NITDA.

Special Adviser, Media to the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Efem Nkanga confirmed to ITRealms that the members of the Broadband Council are Dr. Ernest Ndukwe-Chairman Openmedia Group, Mr Jim Ovia-Chairman of Visafone, Dr. Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Ms Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer, Main One Cable Company, Engr. Titi Omo-Ettu, Managing Consultant, Telecom Answers Associates, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo-Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications.

Equally on the council is Mr Ademola Aladekomo, President, Nigeria Computer Society, Mr Bayo Banjo-President, Nigeria Internet Group, Mr Lanre Ajayi-President, Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria, Mr Abdullahi Maikano-Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund, Mrs Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor-Country Manager, Google Global Services Nigeria Limited, Mr Junaid Dikko-Director, Etisalat, Mr. Mohammed Rudman-Chief Executive Officer, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Mr Ayoola Oke-Managing Partner, Ayoola Babatunde Oke& Co, Engr John Ayodele-Director, Ministry of Communication Technology, Mr Emmanuel Onyeje, Microsoft and Mr Jinmi Sonuga, principal consultant-Business Unusual Ltd.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D