<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 1:14 PM, John Curran <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jcurran@istaff.org" target="_blank">jcurran@istaff.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
On Dec 6, 2012, at 4:27 PM, John Curran <<a href="mailto:jcurran@istaff.org">jcurran@istaff.org</a>> wrote:<br>
> ...<br>
> Furthermore, the author seems to imply that "these groups" need the ITU<br>
> to be involved with the Internet, so that they can interact "with all of<br>
> the communications providers that actually deliver content." Of course,<br>
> nothing could be further from reality - the Regional Internet Registries<br>
> collectively have more than _nineteen thousand_ organizations as members,<br>
> including nearly every communication provider, hosting company, major<br>
> content firms, as well as governments, academic institutions, etc.<br>
> We have very little difficulty having solid discussions on Internet<br>
> number policy matters with the organizations which are directly affected<br>
> by the outcomes, and somehow suggesting that the ITU is necessary for<br>
> these interactions also implies a serious lack of understanding of the<br>
> actual structure of the Internet ecosystem.<br>
><br>
> The Forbes article's additional premise that the ITU somehow has led the<br>
> Internet and must be involved in its future just doesn't reflect reality,<br>
> and is anchored solely in author's strongly held belief sans evidence:<br>
><br>
> "Good grief. If the multilateral organization that has been in charge of<br>
> global agreements on interconnectivity, interoperability, and availability<br>
> of networks and communications for 147 years has nothing to do with the<br>
> Internet, who does?"<br>
><br>
> Note - if one were really pressed to make the case for the ITU-led success of<br>
> the Internet, one would have to cite the ITR allowance for "special arrangements"<br>
> [ITR Article 9], as it allowed arrangements made between parties which were to<br>
> be otherwise beyond the scope of the ITRs. The "special arrangement" option<br>
> might be considered a key enabler for the Internet, but by that logic, anything<br>
> else in telecommunications that was not explicitly forbidden by the ITRs at that<br>
> time must also be considered an ITU-led success, and similarly that would mean<br>
> that every other treaty organization that did not accidentally interfere with<br>
> the success of the Internet gets to claim that that it too is another proud<br>
> parent of "The Internet"...<br>
><br>
> /John<br>
><br>
> Disclaimers: My views alone. This post is not meant to slight any other<br>
> powerful international organizations that apparently 'led' the Internet's<br>
> success by not accidentally stepping on it; you too may apparently claim<br>
> parenthood...<br>
<br>
<br>
FYI - To be clear, I am not advocating for or against any particular<br>
role for the ITU with respect to the Internet (e.g. it seems to be in<br>
vogue to call for dismantling the ITU, and I do not want my correction<br>
to the errant assertions in the Forbes article to be viewed as such...)<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>That came across quite clearly...I agree </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
There are radio spectrum & satellites orbits issues that will always<br>
need to be globally coordinated, and that's been a significant role for<br>
the ITU. There is also the significant support and outreach that the<br>
ITU provides to developing economies with respect to telecommunication<br>
matters.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I agree </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<br>
With respect to being _the_ organization for governments to make global<br>
obligations regarding all of the possible technological ways in which<br>
people communicate with one another, that's a pretty big task once when<br>
considers the now pervasive nature of the Internet and communications...<br>
If you were to consider that mission literally, then it could easily<br>
subsume 90% of the tasks presently in almost other treaty organization<br>
(intellectual property is about who can _communicate_ what information<br>
to whom, human rights has a large component in association expression<br>
of who can _communicate_ with whom, etc.) About the only area of inter-<br>
governmental coordination which I would have excluded is climate change<br>
(but apparently even that is germane to the ITU mission if one scopes<br>
'communications' large enough to include the ICT technology industry...)<br>
<br>
Governments deal very well with legally-clear entities like people,<br>
organizations, and jurisdiction, whereas our global communications<br>
systems have always been very weak in supporting these same concepts,<br>
instead dealing with things like circuits & calling parties in the<br>
telecommunications age, and items like servers, IP addresses, and<br>
domain names in the Internet age. Understanding what governments<br>
actually need (and can agree to) with respect to bridging this gap<br>
is indeed an important topic that must eventually be dealt with;<br>
whether that occurs at an organization such as the ITU or in forums<br>
with the opportunity for more equitable multistakeholder participation<br>
remains to be seen.<br>
<br>
FYI,<br>
/John<br>
<br>
Disclaimers: My views alone. These views are most certainly not<br>
supported by any particular organization (and may even result in<br>
me receiving a lump of coal for the holidays from some ;-)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div>Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala</div><div>P.O. Box 17862</div><div>Suva</div><div>Fiji</div><div><br></div><div>Twitter: @SalanietaT</div><div>Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro</div>
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