South School on Internet Governance (SSIG)

What South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) does

The South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) is a non-profit educational initiative founded in 2009 and organized by CCAT LAT (Centro de Capacitación en Alta Tecnología para Latinoamérica y el Caribe) that delivers annual intensive training on Internet Governance for students and young professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean. Its core product is a 5-day in-person program held each year in a different Latin American city, complemented by a free virtual scholarship channel, a preparatory online course, and a university-accredited diploma (Diplomatura Universitaria en Gobernanza y Regulaciones de Internet) offered in partnership with Universidad de Mendoza. The curriculum covers Internet infrastructure, privacy, cybersecurity, and digital policy, delivered through expert-led debates and formative sessions, with content available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. The program also publishes a multi-language book series analyzing Internet governance in the region.

SSIG does not generate commercial revenue and operates as a free program funded entirely through institutional sponsorships and grants. Major financial and institutional supporters include ICANN, ITU, ISOC, LACNIC, VeriSign, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), CEPAL, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and regional telecom and Internet associations. Participants access the program at zero cost via three scholarship tiers (Virtual, Full In-Person, and Partial In-Person). The organization maintains a small core team of 5 people based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, led by Academic Director Olga Cavalli (co-founder) and Institutional Relations Director Adrian Carballo, operating under the presidency of Oscar Messano at CCAT LAT.

The 18th consecutive edition is scheduled for June 1-5, 2026 in Antigua, Guatemala, following editions in Mexico City (Tecnologico de Monterrey, 2025) and Buenos Aires (Universidad de Mendoza, 2024). The program reaches thousands of participants annually through in-person attendance and remote access, and has been recognized with the WSIS Prize Champion award (2022) and a Regional Excellence Award (2024). Recruitment is driven by university partnerships, regional Internet registries, and government bodies across more than 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, with word-of-mouth through the alumni network serving as a key channel.

Name

South School on Internet Governance (SSIG)

Legal name

South School on Internet Governance (SSIG)

Website

https://gobernanzainternet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) is a non-profit annual educational program that trains students and professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean in Internet governance. Organized by CCAT LAT and funded by ICANN, ITU, ISOC, LACNIC, and major technology companies, it offers free virtual and in-person scholarships plus a university-accredited diploma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Governance Education and Training

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF), Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF)

Keywords

• Internet governance training
• Capacity building programs
• Digital policy education
• Professional training scholarships
• Multi-stakeholder governance

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Institutional Funding: SSIG operates as a non-profit educational initiative primarily funded through sponsorships and institutional partnerships. Major sponsors include ICANN, ITU, ISOC, LACNIC, VeriSign, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and various Latin American universities and government bodies. The organization does not charge participants for scholarships (both virtual and in-person programs are free). Revenue is generated through sponsor contributions, organizational support from CCAT LAT, and partnerships with academic institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SSIG delivers a free annual 5-day intensive training program on Internet Governance for students and professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean, complemented by virtual participation, a preparatory online course, and a university-accredited diploma. The program covers Internet infrastructure, privacy, cybersecurity, and digital policy through expert-led sessions delivered by leaders from ICANN, ITU, IGF, LACNIC, ISOC, and global technology firms.

Product overview

South School on Internet Governance (SSIG) is a unified educational program consisting of an annual intensive 5-day training event combined with virtual participation options and a university-accredited diploma. The core offering is the SSIG Annual Training Program, which provides expert-led instruction on Internet Governance topics. This is complemented by three scholarship tiers (Virtual, Full In-Person, and Partial In-Person) that make the program accessible to participants across Latin America and the Caribbean. A preparatory virtual course precedes the in-person event, and the diplomatura program offers formal academic accreditation. SSIG also produces a book series analyzing internet governance developments in the region, available in three languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SSIG Annual Training Program (South School on Internet Governance) An intensive 5-day annual training program that forms new opinion leaders on Internet Governance topics for students and professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean. The program includes expert-led debates and formative sessions covering Internet policy, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and digital development, delivered by senior figures from ICANN, ITU, IGF, LACNIC, ISOC, and global technology firms.
• Diplomatura Universitaria en Gobernanza y Regulaciones de Internet University-accredited diploma in Internet Governance and Regulations offered in partnership with Universidad de Mendoza, Argentina, available at no cost to scholarship recipients who complete evaluations and research components. Available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
• SSIG Publications (Book Series on Internet Governance in Latin America) Published books analyzing Internet governance, regulations, infrastructure, privacy, cybersecurity, and technological developments in Latin America. Available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English editions and documented in honor of SSIG's tenth anniversary.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 consecutive annual editions (2009-2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• CCAT LAT (Centro de Capacitación en Alta Tecnología para Latinoamérica y el Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAT LAT is the primary organizer of SSIG, providing overall coordination and execution of the annual program. It is a non-profit organization serving as an ITU Training Center of Excellence and organizing SSIG and Dominios Latinoamerica annually in different countries of the region.
• ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationICANN is a key institutional partner providing leadership participation from executives including Presidents and CEOs. ICANN supports SSIG through sponsorship and expert speakers who contribute to the curriculum.
• Internet Society (ISOC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternet Society and its Argentine Chapter provide institutional support, executive leadership (including the President/CEO), and expertise on Internet Governance topics.
• LACNIC (Registro de Direcciones de Internet para América Latina y el Caribe)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationLACNIC provides technical expertise on Internet number resources and supports the program through sponsorship and speaker participation from its leadership.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UN specialized agency for telecommunications provides institutional support, with participation from ITU leadership including regional directors and the Secretary-General.
• IGF (Internet Governance Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe United Nations Secretary's Forum for Internet Governance provides support and expert speakers to the SSIG program, contributing to the multi-stakeholder approach.
• VeriSignmajorTechnology or IntegrationVeriSign supports SSIG as a sponsor, providing technical expertise on domain name system (DNS) operations and security from its platform management director.
• Tecnologico de MonterreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for SSIG 2025 at the Santa Fe Campus in Mexico City, providing venue and academic endorsement through its researchers and faculty.
• Universidad de MendozacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing endorsement for the Diplomatura Universitaria in Internet Governance and Regulations, available at no cost to scholarship recipients who complete evaluations.
• ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers)majorTechnology or IntegrationRegional Internet registry for North America supporting SSIG as a sponsor and providing technical expertise on IP address allocation.
• CEPAL (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN regional commission supports SSIG with participation from its Executive Secretary and productive and business development division director.
• NIC.br (Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do Ponto BR)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationBrazil's Internet Steering Committee provides expert speakers including its President and contributes to the program's technical content on Internet infrastructure.
• OAS/CITEL (Organización de Estados Americanos / Comisión Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAS specialized organization provides support through its Executive Secretary and contributes to discussions on telecommunications policy in the Americas.
• Fundación Getulio Vargas (FGV)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian academic institution supporting SSIG through its Technology and Society Center coordinator and contributes to the academic rigor of the program.
• GSMAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association representing mobile operators supports SSIG through its Latin America director and contributes to discussions on digital connectivity.
• FortinetmajorTechnology or IntegrationCybersecurity technology company supporting SSIG with sponsorship and engineering leadership from its Brazil operations.
• Identity DigitalmajorTechnology or IntegrationDomain name registry operator supporting SSIG with sponsorship and expert speakers from its policy advisory team.
• ALAI (Asociación Latinoamericana de Internet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Internet association supports SSIG through its Executive Director and contributes to Latin American policy discussions.
• ASIET (Asociación Interamericana de Empresas de Telecomunicaciones)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-American telecommunications association provides support through its Secretary General and regional directors.
• GFCE (Global Forum on Cyber Expertise)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational platform supporting cyber capacity building contributes to SSIG's cybersecurity curriculum and programming.
• 5 Rights FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational foundation focused on children's digital rights contributes to SSIG discussions on Internet governance and youth protection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• North American School on Internet Governance (NASIG): NASIG is the North American Internet Governance school, run on the same annual intensive-training model as SSIG. Both programs target students and early-career professionals and share curriculum themes of infrastructure, policy, and digital rights, making them directly comparable.
• European School on Internet Governance (EuroSSIG): EuroSSIG is the European counterpart to SSIG and the longest-running regional Internet Governance school globally. Both programs run annual intensive trainings designed to bring new professionals into the Internet Governance community, making EuroSSIG SSIG's closest structural and curricular analogue.
• African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG): AfriSIG is the regional Internet Governance capacity-building school for Africa, run under the auspices of the African Internet Governance Forum. It mirrors SSIG's model of annual intensive training for emerging professionals and shares SSIG's focus on underrepresented regions in global IG debates.
• Asia-Pacific School on Internet Governance (APISIG): APISIG is the Asia-Pacific regional Internet Governance school, organized in conjunction with APrIGF and following the same annual capacity-building format as SSIG. It is directly comparable in mission and structure, though it serves a different geography.

Others

• ICANN: ICANN is the global coordinator of the DNS and a flagship SSIG sponsor that contributes executive speakers and expertise. While not a training provider, ICANN's policy work and fellowship programs sit in the same Internet Governance ecosystem SSIG serves.
• LACNIC: LACNIC is the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Numbers Registry and a flagship SSIG sponsor. It runs its own policy forums and capacity-building activities (e.g., AMPARO) that overlap with SSIG's curriculum on Internet infrastructure and governance.
• Internet Society (ISOC): ISOC is a major global Internet Governance organization and a flagship SSIG sponsor. It operates its own training, fellowships, and chapter-based capacity-building activities that overlap with SSIG's mission of developing Internet leaders.
• Internet Governance Forum (IGF): The UN-convened IGF is the principal global multi-stakeholder forum on Internet Governance and a direct ecosystem partner of SSIG. While not a training provider itself, it is the policy venue SSIG alumni are trained to participate in, and its Secretariat supports SSIG programming.

Broad incumbents

• DiploFoundation: DiploFoundation is a Geneva-based capacity-building provider that runs longer-format online and in-person programs in Internet Governance and digital policy. It overlaps with SSIG's curriculum but offers a much broader portfolio of courses and serves a global audience.

Emerging players

• GIP Digital Watch Observatory: DiploFoundation's GIP Digital Watch Observatory provides continuous monitoring and reporting on Internet Governance issues. While it is an information platform rather than a training school, it overlaps with SSIG's curriculum and serves a similar audience of IG professionals and policymakers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SSIGLAC
• Facebookfacebook.com/ssiglac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ssiglac
• Instagraminstagram.com/ssiglac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South School on Internet Governance (SSIG)