Speech: Lynn St.Amour, Remarks for “Future Internet” panel,
ITU Telecom World 2009, 8 October 2009
Panel description: Fundamental changes are happening to the internet.
Unwanted traffic, choking of the routing system, mobility, congestion, privacy, trust
and reputation issues are all restricting progress. The very structure of the internet
has to change to meet these challenges. The future internet will shift from the endto-end principle towards a trust-to-trust principle. It will change from
interconnecting nodes towards interconnecting information. It will involve new
mechanisms to improve the quality of end-to-end connectivity and new ways of
information storage and delivery.
Dr da Silva, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure to be on this panel today, discussing an issue as critically
important as the future of the Internet.
However, I can’t agree at all with the assumptions underlying the panel
description. Rather than rebutting them one by one, I want to reframe our
thinking with a reminder that it is precisely the “very structure of the Internet”,
combined with its associated development and management models, that has led
to an unprecedented explosion of creativity, innovation, and opportunity for
everyone. Today’s Internet and its unique model of development and
management are the keys to the Internet’s future.
There are growing pains in any organic system, and the Internet is no different.
The pains we are feeling now exist because more people are using the Internet;
using it increasingly in all aspects of their lives; and forever more remarkable
things. So, if there are calls for better trust mechanisms and stronger privacy
protection, it is precisely because people, businesses, and governments see the
value in greater and more personal levels of online interaction.
Frankly, it’s disheartening to hear calls for actions that would restrict openness
and limit people’s ability to communicate and use services in the ways that suit
their needs.
Do we really want to return to an environment that is largely determined
unilaterally by others or that is restricted, with large portions walled off? But
that is what some are calling for – often under the guise of better protecting or
serving end-users, or to create a so-called “safe, controlled environment”.
If we believe in the future of the Internet (and I hope we all do), then we can see
many of its current growing pains not as problems, but opportunities for
growth and innovation. The wonderful thing about the Internet is that it is so
open to anyone with the creativity and drive to grasp those opportunities.
The Internet is what it is today – and it will continue to astonish and enrich us in
the future – because its growth is guided by a few simple principles. Specifically:

At its heart are open, freely accessible, and globally interoperable technical
standards

It has inclusive transparent processes for technology and policy
development, and

Responsibility for its technical, management, and administrative functions
are globally distributed
We call this the “Internet Model” of development. It catalyses the phenomenal
innovation in services and products. It contributes to economic growth across all
sectors. And it supports cultural and linguistic diversity. Its benefits are not
accidental. To preserve them, we must all commit to protect this model.
The Internet model is fundamentally based on openness. Users develop and
choose the services they need, create their own content in the language they
want, and share it with others. It empowers citizens and enhances social and
economic development.
The Internet is open to business as an extraordinary platform for
entrepreneurship – opening up new territories, expanding marketplaces, and
creating new business models. It puts the power of innovation in the hands of all
businesses, large and small.
The Internet today is not perfect. But it is a vibrant, dynamic platform that
undergoes constant development and evolution. Innovative responses to
security, privacy, and traffic concerns are continually applied to the underlying
technologies that make up the Internet. This collaborative approach ensures
continuous improvement while preserving the ongoing interoperability of
existing applications and services that are more dynamic and responsive than
centrally imposed, top-down solutions.
In other words, genuine current concerns are being addressed through focused
efforts without jeopardising the progress that is all around us – often in the form
of astonishing, paradigm-shifting developments that take us all by surprise.
Part of the genius of the Internet, is that its technical architecture specifically
does not try to predict or restrict the future. Solutions to today’s challenges must
not lock us into a rigid future; yet that seems to be precisely the intention of
many prescriptions for Next Generation internetworking.
The open Internet Model and the Internet Ecosystem depend on diversity, adapt
quickly to change, and encourage creativity and innovation. While today’s musthave feature will eventually become tomorrow’s legacy product, the Internet
remains the endlessly-adaptable platform for new and unimagined products and
services.
Thanks to the open Internet Model of development, the future of the Internet is
emerging all around us.
The key questions facing us all: Will the world embrace or resist the open
Internet? Will we regress to a model of centralized control? Or will we commit
to an open development model that empowers people to create bright new
futures? I know which one I prefer.
Thank you.