It’s just a few days to go until ISPs, network operators, techies, public officials, executives, students, legal professionals and others with an interest in the internet descend on Somerset West near Cape Town for ZANOG@iWeek2024.
The line-up for the 12 to 14 March 2024 event at the Lord Charles Hotel can be viewed here: https://iweek.org.za/agenda.
Day one of the event will see ISPA’s chairperson, Sasha Booth-Beharilal, kicking off the three day conference by welcoming the hundreds of registered delegates. Keynote speaker Professor Jess Auerbach will talk about her research which explores use of the Internet as a political tool, the impact of connectivity on social development and the disparities between the minority northern hemisphere and the majority south viewed through the lens of access to the internet.
For much of the duration of ZANOG@iWeek2024, technical streams will run in parallel with presentations dealing with such topics as the role of ISPs in cybersecurity initiatives, ICASA’s requirements for effective transformation for smaller ISPs, and how to protect children online with particular reference to the role of the Film and Publication Board (FPB).
For over 20 years, South Africa’s oldest internet industry gathering has emphasised practical opportunities for learning, and ZANOG@iWeek2024 is no different. A training workshop on the first day will include practical tips and vital information on how to secure yourself against cybercriminals, day two will include practical advice on dealing with AI, including prompt engineering basics. Delegates will be provided with practical advice on making ethical decisions on how and when to use AI tools in their business.
As always, the domain name landscape comes under the microscope with a day two workshop hosted by ZANOG@iWeek2024 partners, ZADNA and ZARC, on navigating the ZA SLD namespace. ICANN, the event’s Petabyte Sponsor, will be hosting a workshop on the KINDNS framework which focuses on the most important operational best practices of DNS security.
A market study commissioned by ICANN and presented by William Stucke and Mark Elkins follows, and will assess the current state of the domain name sector across the African continent.
June Okal of ICANN will present the “Coalition for a Digital Africa” as well as the ICANN Grant Program, which will be of great interest for community network enthusiasts and operators.
Wednesday 13 March will also feature an INX-ZA User Meeting which will provide a platform for users to come together, share experiences, discuss network developments and explore collaboration opportunities.
Much of day three will be devoted to fibre topics such as the Mapping of South Africa’s Fibre Networks presentation in the morning, the Future of Fibre panel discussion thereafter and the FNO/ISP Best Practice Workshop, amongst other scheduled fibre-related slots.
ISPA’s February 2024 FNO perception survey results will be revealed in the afternoon.
The close of the first two days of ZANOG@iWeek2024 will see opportunities for networking and socialising such as the Africa Data Centres cocktail function on the first day and the Beers for Peers, hosted by Teraco and ZARC on the second day.
The conference and exhibition will be hosted by the South African Network Operators Group (ZANOG) and Internet Service Providers’ Association of South Africa (ISPA) at the Lord Charles Hotel’s conference centre in Somerset West.
Delegates can register, for free, here: https://iweek.org.za/register.