Why join ISPA?

Anyone who operates an ISP knows that the South African internet industry is highly competitive. It is also a highly regulated market, with a variety of licensing and registration requirements, legal obligations to disclose customer information under certain circumstances, as well as requirements to protect customer records. Membership of the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA NPC) is recommended for all internet access and service providers for the following reasons:

• ISPA understands the legal and administrative burdens that ISPs in South Africa face, and has thirty years of experience in supporting companies of all sizes operating in the internet sector.
• ISPA’s recognition as an Industry Representative Body under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) provides members of ISPA with significant legal indemnities for third party content on their network.
• ISPA manages Take-Down Notices lodged under the ECTA on behalf of its members. This process results in the removal of hundreds of phishing and fraud sites each year, making the South African internet a safer place.
• ISPA’s Code of Conduct provides a framework for ISPs to comply with key pieces of legislation, and ISPA provides templates and tools to assist with that compliance, as well as binding ISPA’s members to appropriate standards of conduct.
• Consumers choosing to do business with an ISPA member know that they are supporting a company that strives to provide professional services and give their customers honest and accurate information about their services. Each year, ISPA’s mediation process assists thousands of consumers resolve internet service complaints. The mediation process is designed with customer retention as a goal, whenever possible.
• ISPA monitors all pending legislation and regulations that might have an impact on ISPs. This covers a wide range of topics, including copyright, interception, spectrum policy, online harassment, cybercrime, and consumer protection. ISPA’s members are kept informed of developments that might affect their businesses, and easy-to-read advisories on most topics are available in the ISPA library.
• ISPA has considerable experience in providing input on developing policy, legislation and regulations, and enjoys a cooperative relationship with the government departments and regulatory bodies responsible for these processes. ISPA members who are interested in shaping ISPA’s regulatory submissions have an opportunity to do so.
• ISPA’s working groups address several key focus areas for ISPs, including security, regulatory affairs, domain names, social development and network operators. Participation in the working groups is open to all members and provides a hands-on way of influencing ISPA’s activities.
• ISPA offers regular briefings and workshops for members as well as biennial iWeek conferences, which provide unparalleled networking opportunities and engagement with the broader internet community.
• ISPA provides personalised support to individual members. If you need information or support relating to the South African internet industry, ISPA’s Secretariat team will work hard to assist you.