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<TITLE>Re: [governance] net neutrality and mobiles</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>There are some interesting permutations here – and just as we seem to be having some difficulties deciding what internet governance means perhaps we also have some difficulties with these new developments deciding what the Internet means.<BR>
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One of the issues is that we consider the Internet to include its content – this is obvious from our discussions covering copyright or child safety or a range of other issues as internet policy and/or governance issues. But the same content could be on an internet web site at the same time as it is a television broadcast, a CD, or on the other end of things, a SMS message or a phone call. It stretches things of course if we decide that all of these are actually the internet – in that case broadcasting and communications have ceased to exist and there is one ubiquitous media which covers everything in this sphere.<BR>
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So if a piece of content is accessed via a television, is it internet content? Probably not (unless you create a subset of tv content called iptv and decide it is somehow different). And that just creates another set of confusions.<BR>
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Similarly, is content accessed via a mobile phone app internet content – even if it is also on the internet (eg Facebook?). If a content database delivers to phones without interfacing with TCP/IP networks at any point (and this is certainly possible) - whats it got to do with the Internet, (even if the same content is simultaneously available on a website)? <BR>
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There are lots of questions here – if via my mobile phone I access Facebook from a browser, is that in some way different from a policy point of view to if I access the content via an app from a simultaneously generated database hosted by my mobile carrier – and with no internet protocol use whatsoever? <BR>
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I think this is the dilemma we face with converging media and with a loose definition of the internet which includes its content. Its also the problem we face if we define the internet by a certain technical protocol.<BR>
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Old ground, I know – but it is becoming increasingly relevant to start to figure out what we mean by the internet (and therefore by internet governance). Wikipedia and most sources still use definitions of computer networks to define the internet - when the world has changed. I cant find a sensible definition out there.<BR>
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Ian Peter<BR>
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<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"><B>From: </B>parminder <<a href="parminder@itforchange.net">parminder@itforchange.net</a>><BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B><<a href="governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a>>, parminder <<a href="parminder@itforchange.net">parminder@itforchange.net</a>><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:19:27 +0530<BR>
<B>To: </B>"<a href="governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a>" <<a href="governance@lists.cpsr.org">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a>><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>[governance] net neutrality and mobiles<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><FONT COLOR="#000066"><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial">Hi All<BR>
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See below more news of continued vertical integration and violation of net neutrality principle in developing countries (wonder how is it in developed countries, and developing countries like Brazil which have a general NN agreement).<BR>
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Customised handsets take one directly to a telecom operator controlled portal, which then would control one's online experience. Enough freebies and utilities will be packed into this portal, to make it attractive and help develop deep dependencies, which is easy to do since the telecom completely controls the channel and there seems to be no one watching over.<BR>
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I hope we could collectively ponder over and debate the implication of this fast changing scenario of wireless Internet on issues of rights, equity and justice. Very soon it will be too late, and the new architecture will be set and petrified. As they say, 'architecture is policy' unless policy comes in early enough to influence the architecture in the right directions. Parminder <BR>
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<a href="http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo!+and+Alcatel+form+alliance">http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo!+and+Alcatel+form+alliance</a> <<a href="http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo%21+and+Alcatel+form+alliance">http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo%21+and+Alcatel+form+alliance</a>> <<a href="http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo%21+and+Alcatel+form+alliance">http://telecomyatra.afaqs.com/news/?sid=1971_Tata+Docomo+Yahoo%21+and+Alcatel+form+alliance</a>> <BR>
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Tata Docomo has announced the launch of its first co branded mobile handset OneTouch Net in collaboration with Alcatel and Yahoo! <BR>
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The Qwerty device offers one touch access to Tata Docomo's Dive In portal and comes pre loaded with Yahoo!'s services. <BR>
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The phone will be available in two colour combinations - white and lavender, and black and silver. It comes with 80 MB of in built memory, a 2.0 megapixel camera, MP3 player, FM radio and stereo Bluetooth 2.0 technology. <BR>
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"The device is being offered at a price point of just Rs 5,499 and comes with lifetime free Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger services", Sunil Tandon, regional head, Tata Docomo said. <BR>
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OneTouch Net will also provide access to services such as My Song, Call Me Tunes, Buddy Chat, My Talkies, Astro Portal, Funzone, Song Book etc. through customised keys on the handset. <BR>
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