[governance] NN Workshop proposal

Sat Apr 18 18:41:18 EDT 2009

Folks, its probably because we are too busy with other things, but we dont
seem to have a firm proposal here and we are 48 hours from deadline. Milton,
I would encourage you to submit this but I dont think we can get full IGC
endorsement in the limited time available

Ian Peter

PO Box 429

Bangalow NSW 2479

Australia

Tel (+614) 1966 7772 or (+612) 6687 0773

www.ianpeter.com

  _____  

From: Parminder [mailto:parminder at itforchange.net] 
Sent: 16 April 2009 13:33
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Milton L Mueller
Subject: Re: [governance] NN Workshop proposal

Thanks Milton for this.

Some comments

>While focused on national regulatory developments, it will try to assess
the transnational implications of various >approaches to NN and in
particular examine how >consensus in the developed world might affect
infrastructure development in >middle income and developing countries.
Relates to theme - 

>Openness

I dont think we need to be highlighting the argument that service providers
take against developing NN frameworks- that of investments needed for laying
infrastructure. They are powerful enough to do it themselves. That argument
in my view doesn't hold, but I will not argue on that. It is enough that
this is the service providers'  argument and the public interest argument is
more about people's right to access information, applications, services etc
of their choice, and of media diversity etc. Why should we not be
highlighting these public interest arguments rather than the regressive one
- we need to fund investments in new infrastructure, so let us charge people
as we want. Why would for instance we not instead say that we will examine
the NN implications on content and media diversity and other rights of the
people and communities. 

Moreover there is something inherently repugnant about speaking about
governance systems of the North alongwith needs/ infrastructure of the
South...I am sorry to appear a bit too strong on this,  but this is
patronizing. South is as concerned about governance systems as it is about
infrastructure, pl get this clearly. Milton, you are always concerned about
how we should discuss governance issues more than infrastructural issues at
the IGF, so why did it not occur to you to frame it something like this -
how the emerging NN consensus in the North affects the South, when South is
hardly  included/participating in the global NN debates, while the NN
regimes that will emerge from a North-based consensus will almost definitely
become a global default, and thus be forced on the South. 

I would also *not* like to start with - NN is confusing, which again is more
the argument/ strategy of those opposed to NN who will like to use the
alleged 'confusion' not to have anything done on NN. I would rather like to
start with something like  - There is an increasing recognition of the
urgency to develop some kind of NN principles in order to preserve the open
and democratic nature of the Internet, and safeguard the interest of
Internet users and others effected by it. 

The fact that there is an increasing  recognition of such an urgency - seen
from many political and legislative articulations of it in many countries -
is at least as much of a fact as the supposed 'confusion' around NN. Whether
we begin our workshop proposal statement one way or the other depends on our
political proclivities.  And it is my understanding that most IGC members
prefer some kind of recognition of NN principles, rather than wanting to
further add to the - deliberately whipped up -  impression of 'great
confusion around NN'. This is, in nay case, after all not an academic
workshop. Though of course we will give platform to all views but 'confusion
around NN' doesnt appear to be the right point of departure. If there is
indeed so much confusion how did most relevant actors in Norway agree to a
set of NN principles. Why should then we as a progressive civil society
group want to keep harping on the 'confusion around NN'. 

I propose the following text.

"There is an increasing recognition of the urgency to develop some kind of
NN principles in order to preserve the open and democratic nature of the
Internet, and safeguard the interest of Internet users and others affected
by it. This workshop will explore recent efforts to articulate and agree on
NN principles in Europe, Japan, the U.S. and developing countries. While
proceeding from numerous national regulatory developments, it will try to
assess the transnational implications of various approaches to NN,
especially vis a vis developing countries who seem largely absent from NN
debates."   

The rest can be as it is.

Thanks 

parminder 

Milton L Mueller wrote: 

With thanks to Parminder and Adam. For discussion and additions of examples
(other countries)

Title

Network Neutrality - Exploring a global consensus on principles

Concise description (up to 200 words)

Network neutrality (NN) can be controversial because there are conflicting
ideas about what it is and what obligations it imposes on service providers.
This workshop will explore recent efforts to articulate and agree on NN
principles in Europe, Japan, the U.S. and developing countries. While
focused on national regulatory developments, it will try to assess the
transnational implications of various approaches to NN and in particular
examine how consensus in the developed world might affect infrastructure
development in middle income and developing countries. Relates to theme
-Openness

Who would you approach as co-organizers ? or who do you think should
organize it?

Internet Governance Project (IGP) is happy to play a support role in
organizing this. Others we would approach: Free Press (USA-based civil
society advocacy group); Consumer Council of Norway; ITforChange
(India-based civil society advocacy group), Japan Internet Providers
Association and Ministry of Communications. There are other specific
countries or examples that are involved in such negotiations over principles
that we don't know about yet but will learn about later. We will seek out
additional developing country commentators in particular.

Milton Mueller

Professor, Syracuse University School of Information Studies

XS4All Professor, Delft University of Technology

------------------------------

Internet Governance Project:

http://internetgovernance.org

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