Top African and international Internet companies are supporting this year’s Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF), set for August 22-24 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Netflix, Facebook, Google, Akamai, DE CIX, LINX, YAHOO, Netnod and FranceIX are among the global players supporting AfPIF while Liquid Telecom, Seacom, Angola Cables, Angonix, AFRINIC, and MainOne are the leading supporters from Africa.

In the last seven years, AfPIF has established itself as the most important Internet event with respect to peering and interconnection in Africa and any operator that is looking at growing their local, regional and global interconnection is best served at AfPIF.

Last year alone, the international digital rights advocacy organization Access Now recorded 56 Internet shutdowns worldwide. There's concern about this growing trend and worry that governments are blocking social media and communications tools, in particular.

Many private sector and civil society organizations have condemned the shutdowns, and there have been dialogues and campaigns held around the world to try and prevent this growing trend. But while most of these dialogues are filled with decision-makers, legislators, and civil society organizations, young voices have been left out.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept that has a long standing tradition in the realm of science-fiction, popularized by Hollywood movies and iconic writers such as Isaac Asimov. However, AI has also received increased attention in recent years following news of progress in the field and the prospect of new, tangible, innovation such as self-driving cars. The Internet has played an important role in these developments, particularly as the platform for AI enabled services  – some with significant implications for the continued development of a trusted Internet. 

The world of today mostly buzzes with social media and hashtags. For a youth it’s a complicated dynamic world of Internet with tons and tons of messages and notifications that pop up every other minute, and where no Internet means no life. 

As a journalist, blogger, activist and a consultant, the Internet made me who I am and still I am exploring the possibilities of my virtue. Nothing was easy but the point is standing for change. 

I realized the power of Internet when I published a story in one of the citizen journalism sites, Ground Report, and it was picked up by Access Now and they launched an international campaign “Nepal Shutdown Showdown”.  

We are young. 

We have a bunch of emotions, energy and dreams. 

As young people, we truly believe that our world can get better. Most of the time we do not have fears. We try new things, new trends, new food, and new technology. We are open to hear new ideas and fight for new causes. All this helps us to come up with innovative ideas. 

I have seen lots of great ones!

Some of you have developed these ideas, and now you have projects, groups, businesses, and movements. However, not all of these ideas get the attention that they deserve. 

But now you have the chance. 

Do you want to understand more about how the Internet is connected in Africa?  Today we are pleased to announce the African Route-collectors Data Analyzer (ARDA) system. This new systems aims to present data collected at African IXPs in ways that can be easily extrapolated into practical business, policy, developmental, technical, or research opportunities for everyone involved in the peering and interconnection ecosystem.

On 7 April, the Russian Internet Governance Forum (RIGF) took place in the new city of Innopolis, near Kazan. My main takeaways from this 8^th RIGF converge around three themes: digital economy, trust and the next generation of Internet aficionados. 

As G20 leaders from around the world gather this week, Germany wants them to agree to a concrete plan – one that includes affordable Internet access across the world by 2025, common technical standards and a focus on digital learning.

Today, the G20 economies, like so many other economies around the world, are digital and interconnected. Digital services have opened up new avenues for sustainable economic growth. But, the digital economy will only continue to thrive and generate opportunities for citizens if the Internet is strong, secure, and trusted. Without this foundation, the global digital economy is at risk.

Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the Internet?

We are pleased to announce that candidate nominations for the 2017 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award are open.

This annual award is presented to an individual or organization that has made outstanding contributions in service to data communications and places particular emphasis on those who have supported and enabled others. 

Nominations are encouraged for individuals or teams of individuals from across the data communications industry around the world who are dedicated to the efforts of advancing the Internet for the benefit of everybody.

About twenty years ago, people here at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy started thinking about what happens to the people who come here after they go home. Specifically, what happens to the academics and researchers from the developing world who come to work with us. 

The European Union today faces a number of serious challenges including growing levels of populism and the threat of foreign intervention through cyber-attacks. Last year’s alleged Russian-led cyberattacks on US Democratic Party servers as well as Chinese government cyber espionage against other governments and companies have provided worrying precedents. Although it is hard to measure the actual impact these attacks had on the election results in the US, concerns are growing amongst European leaders that their electoral procedures are vulnerable to manipulation.

The digitalization of human activities, from social interactions to industrial processes, has led to unprecedented levels of data collection. New data is constantly being produced, driven by the rise of user-generated content, the digitalization of industries and services, and the improvement of both machine to machine communication and data storage. As recognized in the Commission’s Communication “Towards a data-driven economy”, this trend “holds enormous potential in various fields, ranging from health, food security, energy efficiency to intelligent transport systems and smart cities”. Indeed, data has become an essential resource for societal improvement.

We are happy to announce that Applications for Beyond the Net Medium and Large grants are open until Thursday, 23 March 2017.

Beyond the Net seeks to improve the quality of people’s lives in all parts of the world by providing them meaningful access to an open, trusted and global Internet.

Do you have a project that can promote the development of your community, but you don’t have the economic resources to implement it? 

Beyond the Net provides funding up to $30,000 USD for one or two years’ projects.

Projects must focus in one or more of the following categories:

Last week was the “Key Issues for Digital Transformation in the G20” event, a joint conference between the OECD and the German government setting the stage for the G20 meeting later this year in Hamburg, Germany. As an international forum gathering the world’s twenty major economies this is as much a political event as a thermometer on the major concerns that will drive international ICT policy in the near future.

Over the past few years, a new tradition has emerged, the Holiday DDoS Attack.