Organizations interested in hosting an L-Root single in their network must:

1. Be an Africa-based organization (e.g., ISPs, Enterprise Networks including universities and government networks, IXPs, and others). 
2. Meet technical requirements: 
1. Ability to provide suitable housing (hosting) for the L-Root single system in Africa. This includes ensuring proper connectivity, power supply, and secure rack space. The L-Root appliance should be installed outside of host network firewalls to ensure optimal functionality.

Ability to meet the networking technical requirements, which include maintaining dual-stack connectivity (IPv4 and IPv6), establishing a Border Gateway Protocol  (BGP) peering session to propagate specific routes, and adhering to best 

1. practices, such as actively using the IETF best common practice (BCP38) in your networks.
1. Provide commitment to acquire the designated hardware appliance from a nominated vendor specified by ICANN.  
2. Limited funding may be available to cover costs related to the purchase of the hardware appliance. See “Limited Funding Opportunity” below for more information.
3. Support ongoing L-Root operations such as Internet bandwidth, electricity, hardware maintenance, and related expenses. 
1. ICANN does not charge any fees for hosting, as it is a collaborative effort to enhance the global internet infrastructure. 
4. Demonstrate ability to replace/refresh the hardware after a period of five years without    ICANN’s financial support.
5. Support ICANN’s compliance with relevant U.S. laws, rules, and regulations.

Upon successful completion of ICANN due diligence and the signature of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), successful organizations will execute an L-Root Single Agreement with ICANN. More information about the process to become an L-Root single host is available here.

• Limited funding may be available to cover costs related to the purchase of the hardware appliance. Organizations receiving financial support will be reimbursed for up to USD $6,000 after the L-Root (formerly IMRS) Single is successfully deployed.
• Expressions of interest with request for limited funding is closed as of 15 April 2024.
• Submissions will be evaluated against the above requirements by the ICANN Organization DNS Engineering team. 
• If and when an organization is deemed by ICANN org to be a potential candidate to receive such limited funding,they will be contacted by the ICANN organization who will then conduct further due diligence.

{\"paragraph\":\"<strong style='font-size: 24px; font-weight: 600;'>Reliable access to DNS is the foundation of a secure, stable, and resilient Internet.</strong><br>Expanding L-Root infrastructure in Africa helps to:\",\"cards\":[{\"icon\":\"https://cda-images.s3.amazonaws.com/_A%CC%83%C2%ABA%CC%83%C2%AEA%CC%83%C2%A9_1.png\",\"text\":\"Reduce latency by answering queries locally.\"},{\"icon\":\"https://cda-images.s3.amazonaws.com/_A%CC%83%C2%ABA%CC%83%C2%AEA%CC%83%C2%A9_1%20%281%29.png\",\"text\":\"Improve defenses against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.\"},{\"icon\":\"https://cda-images.s3.amazonaws.com/_A%CC%83%C2%ABA%CC%83%C2%AEA%CC%83%C2%A9_1%20%282%29.png\",\"text\":\"Build local expertise in managing critical Internet functions.\"}]}

{\"subtitle\":\"Progress So Far:\",\"mapImage\":\"https://cda-images.s3.amazonaws.com/Capacity%20Development%20for%20Country%20Code%20Top-Level%20Domain%20Registries.png\",\"items\":[{\"number\":\"01.\",\"title\":\"L-Root Clusters in Africa (2022–2023):\",\"titleColor\":\"#07B5A6\",\"text\":\"The first large-scale cluster launched in Nairobi in 2022, improving DNS query speed and resilience. A second cluster followed in Cairo in 2023, built with Telecom Egypt to further strengthen Internet resilience.\"},{\"number\":\"02.\",\"title\":\"Phase 2 Singles (2024):\",\"titleColor\":\"#FB9501\",\"text\":\"Single-server deployments at Internet service providers (ISPs), Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), and universities brought DNS resolution closer to users while creating training opportunities.\"},{\"number\":\"03.\",\"title\":\"Local Engagement:\",\"titleColor\":\"#CF5501\",\"text\":\"African organizations were invited to host singles, promoting shared responsibility for Internet infrastructure.\"}]}

{\"achievements\":[{\"title\":\"Operational Clusters\",\"description\":\"Two clusters in Kenya and Egypt now handle millions of DNS queries daily within Africa.\"},{\"title\":\"Improved Stability\",\"description\":\"Distributed infrastructure provides greater resilience against DDoS attacks.\"},{\"title\":\"Local Capacity Building\",\"description\":\"African institutions have been empowered to manage DNS services, building regional technical expertise.\"},{\"title\":\"Partnerships Strengthened\",\"description\":\"Collaboration with Telecom Egypt and other local hosts demonstrates strong partnerships and shared commitment.\"},{\"title\":\"Global Recognition\",\"description\":\"Africa’s leadership in safeguarding Internet resilience is gaining global attention.\"}]}

{\"cards\":[{\"title\":\"Cluster Operations\",\"text\":\"Nairobi and Cairo clusters continue strengthening regional DNS resilience.\"},{\"title\":\"L-Root Singles Rollout\",\"text\":\"Ongoing deployments with local ISPs, IXPs, and universities across Africa.\"},{\"title\":\"Expressions of Interest\",\"text\":\"Open call for organizations to host singles, even without funding support.\"},{\"title\":\"DNS Landscape Study\",\"text\":\"Published in 2022 to guide the placement of future deployments.\"}]}

{\"intro\":\"The next phase will expand the rollout of singles across Africa.\",\"text\":\"It will share performance data from existing clusters and broaden participation in hosting opportunities. By growing this network of local partners, the Coalition is building a stronger, more resilient Internet for Africa and the world.\",\"image\":\"https://cda-images.s3.amazonaws.com/Layer_1%20%281%29.png\"}