Concurrently she launched SbCommunications Network, plc, (SbCnet) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which specialized in systems integration, technology integration and support services. Through her two companies, she bid and successfully commissioned international contracts for building large scale projects including information technology infrastructure for the Organization of African Unity (AU) General Secretariat and an e-government Internet-working project initiative, sponsored by UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) for the Ethiopian parliament, House of Peoples' Representatives and House of Federation. Both projects involved the implementation of a complex fiber-optic-based campus wide area network and an integrated data networking infrastructure. Her companies CBSegroup handled technological inputs and services procurement from US, while SbCnet provided strategic technology integration services and field management International Domain Names (IDNs) During her tenure at ICANN from 2005-2007 and the Council of the GNSO (Generic Names Supporting Organization), Bekele was among those who initiated a policy dialogue over IDNs as well as developing the framework for leading a language group to introduce IDNs under which new Internet Domain names in Arabic, Cyrillic, Russian, Chinese and non-Latin alphabets will become available, thereby providing non-English/non-Latin language native speakers an opportunity to access and communicate on the Internet in their native languages. This global IDN group, called International Domain Resolution Union (IDRU) gave a testimonial to Bekele's work over IDNs. The IDNs are now introduced by ICANN under the auspices of the current new GTLD program .africa In 2006, while at ICANN, Bekele turned her focus to initiate and champion the .africa – a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) for the Africa geographic name. The project has been introduced and is now delegated for operation under ICANN's new gTLD programme. Bekele started the DotAfrica initiative following experiences gained from her work as gNSO advisor to ICANN. Bekele made a clear case for a DotAfrica (.africa) gTLD for Africa within ICANN and also the global Internet Community on behalf of the global African and Pan-African constituency. She soon led the .africa initiative with DotConnectAfrica introducing it to the Pan-African inter-governmental organizations – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and received endorsement for DCA. Enterprise Technology Magazine called her "Sophia Bekele: Champion of .africa initiative" CIO East Africa calling her views "controversial" on who should run gTLDs, saying "Sophia Bekele has been in the news if not for promoting DotConnectAfrica's bid for the DotAfrica geographical gTLD for the