LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) organization announced in a press release that it has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to identify a provider to conduct a study of the Domain Name System (DNS) as it impacts and is utilized in Africa.

In 2016, the ICANN organization conducted The 2016 African Domain Name System Market Study in the Africa region. The main purpose of the study was to:

• Highlight the strengths and weaknesses in the DNS sector in Africa
• Develop recommendations on how to advance the industry to better exploit the opportunities available and to address identified challenges
• Explore options for establishing an observatory to continuously monitor the growth, development, and emerging needs regarding the DNS in Africa

In tandem with feedback from the community, ICANN believes there have been changes to the reach and impact of the DNS in Africa in the past five years. Therefore, it is important to conduct a new study to examine the current realities related to the DNS in Africa and present an updated, comprehensive report of the African DNS landscape for the benefit of the community.

This new study will be essential for understanding the current circumstances in Africa ahead of a potential future round of new generic top-level domains.

Proposals should be electronically submitted using ICANN's sourcing tool at the latest by 23:59 UTC on 25 July 2022. Access to this tool may be requested via the same email.