Empirical Assessment of the Internet Ecosystem of Uganda.

Abstract

In today’s digital age, the Internet has become an indispensable tool for individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide. However, Uganda faces significant challenges in its current Internet ecosys- tem, including accessibility, pricing, and service quality. With a current Internet penetration rate of only 25 percent, according to the World Bank, there is a pressing need to address these issues. This project focused to evaluate the Ugandan Internet ecosystem using a comprehensive range of Internet measurement tools and techniques, with a particular focus on the RIPE Atlas tool. To provide a more in-depth analysis, this project primarily concentrated on DNS-related measurements. The Domain Name System (DNS) plays a critical role in facilitating communication between devices on the Internet. By focusing on DNS, this research sought to identify potential areas for improvement in the overall Internet experience. However, broader infrastructure-related topics such as the distribution of core networks, access net- works, and data centers were not covered for this project. Similarly, the investigation did not delve into business models, policies, and regulations of ISPs and IXPs in Uganda. The results indicate an average of 10.33ms response time per 1 percent packet loss through se- lected Ugandan ISPs with an average of 100 prefix records at the UIXP .The outcomes of this project can contribute to identifying areas for improvement within the Internet ecosystem. By shedding light on the performance and behavior of the Internet in Uganda, policymakers and stakeholders can gain valuable insights for the development of policies and solutions aimed at enhancing the quality of experience for Internet users across the country.