[governance] rights based approach to the Internet

[Michael Gurstein]

McTim,

-----Original Message-----
From: McTim [mailto:dogwallah at gmail.com] 
Sent: April 16, 2008 1:42 AM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Michael Gurstein
Cc: Milton L Mueller
Subject: Re: [governance] rights based approach to the Internet


On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 2:56 AM, Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>  The problem Milton (and McTim) is that I don't think anyone believes 
> in that  kind of incantatory market fundamentalism

Tell that to the 4 new providers here in Uganda who have invested hundreds
of millions of USD only after the end of our duopoly.

SO...



<snip>

>  Whether having access to the Internet is of sufficient (and 
> fundemental)  significance to warrant being a "right" is something to 
> discuss...

but that's not what is being posited, this is:

"'right to the Internet' should include certain rights to what is 'on' the
Internet, and also to own and co-construct the Internet (cf
co-constructivism in education)."

Which IMO, we already have, hence my objection, after all, it seems silly to
me to demand something one already has.

THOSE ARE PARMINDER'S WORDS NOT MINE AND SINCE HE IS MOST CERTAINLY ABLE
(AND EVEN OCCASIONALLY WILLING ;-) TO DEFEND HIS WORDS I'LL LEAVE THIS TO
HIM... (I AGREE WITH HIM ON THIS BUT WHETHER I WOULD INCLUDE THESE ELEMENTS
AT THIS STAGE I'LL LEAVE TO HIM TO DISCUSS...


>
>  But suggesting leaving the whole matter to whatever shows up after 
> the  market has done its "magic" is to belie any knowledge of history, 
> any  experience of the real economic and social world and dare I say, 
> even common  sense.

This is your suggestion, not mine.  Historically, in this very real economic
and social location, our experience is that the PS working within the
government policy framework has increased teledensity dramatically.  For me,
the *magic* is the improvement in the lives of folk who gain the ability to
tele-communicate.

I'M PLEASED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING OF COURSE, AND THAT THERE ARE PROFITABLE
MARKETS IN UGANDA TO DRIVE THE EXTENSION OF THE INTERNET. I'M ASSUMING ALSO
OF COURSE BY WHAT YOU SAY THAT THOSE LIVING IN UGANDA WILL, WITHIN THE NEXT
POLICY CYCLE OR SO AND AS A RESULT OF THESE PROCESSES HAVE UNIVERAL ACCESS,
AFFORDABLE BY ALL TO THE RANGE OF INTERNET SERVICES. (BTW MY GUESS IS THAT
IT WILL BE A MASSIVE JOB SINCE THE CURRENT INTERNET PENETRATION RATE IN
UGANDA IS 0.8%) AND WILL THUS BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A MODEL TO THE REST OF
AFRICA WHERE INTERNET PENETRATION RATES NOW I BELIEVE HOVER AT SOMEWHERE
BELOW 5%.

AND TO FORESTALL WHAT I'M ASSUMING WILL BE YOUR NEXT RIPOSTE, I COMPLETELY
AGREE THAT OPENING THE MARKET TO ADDITIONAL SUPPLIERS WOULD/WILL MEAN THAT
THESE NUMBERS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AS A RESULT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT
AND MARKET COMPETITION.  

AN APPROPRIATE RIGHTS DRIVEN POLICY APPROACH IN AREAS SUCH AS AFRICA OVERALL
WHERE INTERNET RATES ARE SO MASSIVELY BELOW THE NORM SHOULD LIKLEY INCLUDE
THE REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO MARKET ENTRY AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT (I'M ASSUMING
INCLUDING FPI) PRECISELY AS A WAY OF ENABLING AN AT LEAST PARTIAL
REALIZATION OF THE "RIGHT"... 

HOW THAT REALIZATION MIGHT BE EXTENDED TO THE POOR, TO RURAL AREAS, TO THOSE
WITH LOW LEVELS OF LITERACY, TO THOSE WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF DISABILITY AND
SO ON, WOULD I WOULD EXPECT REQUIRE OTHER FORMS OF POLICY ENABLEMENT AND
NON-MARKET BASED INTERVENTIONS. BUT UNLESS WE CAN ASSUME THAT THEY WILL BE
AMONG THOSE WHO WILL SEE "the improvement in the lives of folk who gain the
ability to tele-communicate". 

HOWEVER, AS IS MOST LIKELY GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE EVERYWHERE ELSE, THE PRIVATE
SECTOR FOLKS WILL PROVIDE SERVICE TO THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO RETURN THE MOST
PROFIT TO THEIR INVESTMENT AND LEAVE THE OTHERS FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SERVE
(NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE FOLKS GETTING A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT, BUT
ARE WE SURE THAT ROI IS THE ONLY BASIS ON WHICH WE BELIEVE INTERNET SERVICE
SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE).

MG

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
$ whois -h whois.afrinic.net mctim

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