New Medium vs. Old Models: Policy and Standards for the Next Generation Internet Michael R. Nelson Vice President, Policy Internet Society ITU, Geneva 23 March 2006 ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 1 Internet Society’s Public Policy Goals Ensuring: • Ability to Connect => preserve end-to-end • Ability to Speak => oppose censorship • Ability to Innovate => open standards • Ability to Share => ensure fair use • Ability to Choose => foster competition • Ability to Trust => security and reliability ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 2 Internet-related Policy Internet Policy Internet Management Standards (IETF) (ICANN) ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 3 Bottom Line A PROFOUND PARADIGM SHIFT – As important as the World Wide Web was in 1995 – New approaches to policy are essential – It’s not about imposing old broadcasting or telephony regulations on the Net ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 4 TIME FOR A QUIZ ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 5 Question 1 – Defining Terms What is the Next Generation Network? A. A replacement for the Internet B. An effort to resurrect the Intelligent Network, give more control to phone companies, and hinder new entrants C. An effort to make government wiretaps easier D. A vague, but useful, marketing term E. An excuse for lots of working group meetings F. An important effort to help ISPs build and manage their networks G. An effort to promote key Internet standards ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 6 Question 2 – Defining Terms What is the Next Generation Internet (NGi)? A. A replacement for the Internet B. A vague, but useful, marketing term C. A justification for lots of conferences D. A collection of new Internet technologies and standards that will accelerate the evolution of the Internet and development of exciting new Internet applications ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 7 Components of the NGi -- Web 2.0 Web 1.0 Tools Browser, Wired Standards TCP/IP, HTML Web 2.0 Blogs, Wikis, AJAX, Grid, Computing, Wireless SOAP, XML, XHTML Web Services Enable data access, transactions Enable collaborative work Dialogue Immersive environments Media Text, Image, PDF, MP3 Video, Conferencing, Skype New Concept Hyperlinks Application mashup Business Positioning e-Commerce, e-Business e-Business 2.0? Focus ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 8 Components of the NGi (continued) • IPv6 • All-optical, gigabit networks • Broadband wireless (WiMax) • Widespread, standards-based authentication • 100s of billions of sensors and devices • Distributed computing (e.g. Grid) ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 9 Phase 3 -- Distributed Computing -- many-to-many Phase 3 -- Distributed Computing -- many-to-many Grid Server Grid Server Grid Server Grid Server user user Grid Server Grid Server ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 10 Many Flavors of Distributed Computing Many Flavors of Distributed Computin Number of nodes Number of nodes 1M 10 TheThe Holy Grid Holy Grid Peer-to-peer Peer-to-peer Everything integrated Everything integrated with everything with everything (PC-based) (PC-based) Number of nodes 1M Napster KaZaa Napster KaZaa SETI@home SETI@home GridGrid Computing Computing (Server-based) (Server-based) National Grids TeraGrid National Grids TeraGrid 10 ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 1 Power per node 100 11 Question 3 – Internet Governance Who controls the Internet? • Governments • Telecommunications companies • IT companies • Users • Everyone and no one ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 12 “Phone governance” (1970): Who made choices about phone service? International Telecommunication Union Hundreds of governments Hundreds of governmentrun telephone companies (“subscribers”) ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 13 Who makes choices about the Net? Dozens of intergovernmental organizations, standards bodies, and international NGOs ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 14 Question 4 - Levers Rank in order of importance: A. Government Policy B. Technical Standards C. Business Practices ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 15 Key organizations affecting Internet industry Internet Standards IETF W3C IEEE ITU-T Allocation of Internet resources WTO National governments ICANN RIRs registries UN agencies OECD EU Government Policy and Regulation ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 16 Critical technology choices • • • • • • • • • • • • Authentication and directories Privacy-enhancing technologies (P3P) Digital Rights Management Filtering technologies to block spam, porn Voice over IP Wireless Internet standards Web services and Grid computing Instant messaging IPv6 deployment Linking the phone network and the Internet Rich media standards (SIP, multicast, etc.) End-to-end vs. walled gardens ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 17 Tech answers to policy problems • • • • • • • • • • Privacy Piracy Pornography Protection Pricing Policing Psychology Procurement Payments Protectionism P3P, etc. DRM Filtering technologies Authentication Grid standards Wireless Internet Phone-Net merger Voice over IP ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 18 Question 5 – Focus for Policymakers To spur development of the Next Generation Internet, policymakers need to focus on: A. Controlling ICANN and the Domain Name System B. Regulating the price of Internet service C. Controlling content broadcast over the Internet D. Funding new universal service schemes E. Setting national Internet standards F. Fostering competition and innovation • • • • • • Supporting open global standards openly developed Supporting open source Supporting open markets Supporting R&D, education, & e-government applications Enforcing competition laws Opening up more spectrum ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 19 Question 6 – Focus for Standards bodies To spur the growth and deployment of the Next Generation Internet, standards bodies need to: A. Compete and cooperate B. Avoid comprehensive, one-size-fits-all solutions C. Encourage experimentation and flexibility D. Avoid creating “control points” E. Strive for standards that are royalty-free and can be implemented in open source software F. Factor in policy and business considerations G. Involve a wider community of “stakeholders” (users, LDCs) H. All of Above ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 20 Standards that work Historical Case Studies: • OSI vs. TCP/IP • WAP vs. WiFi • HDTV vs. Internet video • Electronic authentication • Digital Rights Management Good policy > Good standards > Happy users ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 21 BACKGROUND SLIDES ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 22 Layers of the Information Society Education and training Software, e-business, and content Computer hardware Internet Telecommunications networks Rule of Law (contracts, anti-corruption, etc.) ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 23 What’s New Now? • 1 billion PCs >> trillions of devices, sensors • Web >> Web Services, Grid • Communications media > Computing Platform • One-to-one + One-to-many >> Many-to-many • Megabit networks > all-optical gigabit networks • WiFi >> broadband wireless (e.g. WiMax) • Open standards openly developed + open source ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 24 Locus of Decision-making International Spectrum policy Internet standards Regional DNS IP addresses National Spam Company/Local Trade policy Cyber-crime Development aid Online taxes Censorship Telecom regulation E-government Cyber-security On-line privacy Individual No government All government Degree of government involvement ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 25 Locus of Decision-making (Many different decisions in many different places) International Regional National Spam Company/Local Individual No government All government Degree of government involvement ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 26 Locus of Decision-making Telephony Governance International Country codes Spectrum policy Trade policy Accounting Rates Telephony standards Regional National Taxation Telecom regulation Company/Local Individual No government All government Degree of government involvement ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 27 Locus of Decision-making Where “Internet governance” is needed International Spectrum policy Internet standards Regional National Company/Local DNS IP addresses Spam Trade policy Cyber-crime Development aid Online taxes Censorship Telecom regulation E-government Cyber-security On-line privacy Individual No government All government Degree of government involvement ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 28 Where are we headed? Global “Internet governance” International Scenario #2 Regional Scenario #1 National Company/Local Scenario #3 Individual No government All government Degree of government involvement ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 29 Clash of Models POLICY MARKETS • Top-down • Bottom-up • Hundreds of experts • Millions of buyers • One-size-fits-all answer • Competing solutions • Treaties • Products and standards • 1-10 years • <2 years • Lawyers, politicians • Engineers, entrepreneurs • Precedent • Innovation • Certainty, “coherence” • Choice, openness ITU Workshop on NGN Policy 30