An agreement has been signed by the ATU and ICANN to speed up the deployment of IPv6 in Africa, marking a significant move towards strengthening the internet’s infrastructure. Africa’s digital transformation is being re-entered with the announcement on June 9.

During the initiative’s initial launch, ICANN granted ATU a grant worth almost $400,041 to support the 24-month program that will cover several African nations.

To address the long-standing issue of IPv4 exhaustion caused by traditional IP addresses, this grant provides technical assistance, capacity-building workshops, and advocacy campaigns to bridge the gap between new users and devices.

While IPv6 has been in use globally for over ten years, its deployment is not evenly distributed. Many countries in Africa have been notably slow, often using cumbersome and inefficient methods. The new ATU-ICANN partnership is expected to increase adoption in countries like Kenya, which are already piloting programs, and other countries in the region through coordinated national and regional frameworks.

John Omo, the ATU Secretary-General for Africa said that the collaboration is not just technical but also essential to ensure digital sovereignty in Africa. “IPv6 will enable us to support services and fintech, healthtech or agritechnology,” he said during ATI’s announcement in Nairobi on Wednesday.

The trainings are being rolled out over the next two years to regulators, internet service providers (ISPs) and ICT ministries all with the goal of providing them with policy development skills, migration strategies as well as deployment tools. A regional roadmap, which was jointly developed by ATU and ICANN, will guide national implementations to ensure consistency and efficiency across borders.

ICANN’s Vice President for African Engagement, Pierre Dandjinou, reaffirmed ICANN’s commitment to nurturing a connected and resilient internet. He stated that the aim is to provide Africa with a strong foundation for expanding internet access, encouraging innovation, and being fully engaged in the global cyber economy.

However, IPv6 is more than just a means of improving internet address systems. Until now, it has limited the number of devices that can connect to each other online; it also restricts infrastructure expansion and discourages innovation. The implementation of IPv6 in Africa will enable exponential growth in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smart infrastructure, and next-gen applications.

Countries and network providers that adopt IPv6 early on will also experience a competitive edge in innovation. In the meantime, individuals who delay may be left behind as the global internet industry advances.

The timing of the ATU-ICANN collaboration is perfect. The African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy calls for a widespread internet infrastructure by 2030, which is essential due to the growth of fintech, edtech and upcoming agritech companies.

If this endeavor prove successful, it may pave the way for coordinated internet policy across geographically disparate regions especially within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC).

The implementation of pilot programs and national training by ATU and ICANN will be crucial in the next few months. The uptake rates, effectiveness of centralized coordination, and the wider impact on connectivity, security, innovation, will be monitored by technologists, regulators, and industry watchers.

In the end, as Africa moves towards complete IPv6, it will be crucial to assess its readiness for the next wave of digital transformation. With ATU and ICANN now guiding the charge, the continent’s digital future appears much brighter and far more connected.