Tag: WCIT Dubai

What did happen at the ITU meetings in Dubai???

As a follow-up to an earlier post this month, we’ll revisit the WCIT 2012 meetings in Dubai and try to determine what exactly happened there.  Now that the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) meetings are over it seems there are two opposing views on the event.  One is the official version of consensus and success, the other is the sigh of relief by Internet organizations that a bullet has been dodged.

Of course, the truth lies somewhere in between.  Yes, the meeting did result in a new Treaty being adopted.  Yes, the fact that many countries will not sign the Treaty means that it will be unenforceable.

So what is the take-away?  First I think the most interesting aspect of this whole tempest is the light that was shed on the way International organizations conduct business.  For those who have never been involved in politics at this level, trying to participate in and understand the event proved challenging and enlightening.  Standards folks often believe that standards represent the triumph of reason.  International forums prove that standards are a result of a political process and you’re best not to forget it!

Secondly,  the meetings highlight the fact that nations have a stake in the Internet and are searching for ways to assert control over the wires used to transport all those packets, even as they’ve traditionally controlled telegraph and telephone lines.  ITU has historically done much good in the world by harmonizing the way your phone, fax, and Western Union wires work everywhere you need to communicate.  It is not surprising that ITU is the first battleground for inserting national interests into the protocols used by the Internet.

Third, the meeting highlights the strong resolve of the United States, the European Union, and others to support the current Internet system.  Of course, the flip side of this is we’re now aware of the desire of Russia, China, Arab and African countries to find a means to generate tax revenue and promote censorship under an Internationally sanctioned agreement.

Will this divide in outlook crop up again?  Most assuredly so.  We can consider Dubai to be yet another salvo in an on-going battle to define the Internet and how the Internet is controlled.  Congratulations to interested Techies in helping to bring a little sunshine into the process and help us all understand how this particular venue a bit more.

From our earliest days on the Internet in 1993, it has been clear that there are competing interests all looking to dominate this new communications tool.  Whether it’s the demands of business or government, someone is always looking for a way to dominate the media and change how you use this new environment.  I have always hoped for the continued success of the technical experts who were the first Internet standards developers.  But which side won this time?

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Controversy surrounds ITU’s 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications

ITU (the International Telecommunications Union, a UN organization) is holding meetings in Dubai and the swirl of controversy surrounds the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) meetings that began today.  WCIT-12, a global treaty conference, is set to review the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), which were last addressed at the World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference in Melbourne, Australia, in 1988.

Prior to today’s  opening ceremonies, the usual World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) was held last week.  This meeting occurs every four years and defines the next period of study for ITU-T.  Current new focus areas include expanding ITU standards on e-health, software-defined networking (SDN) and e-waste.  Noteably, there was also a Resolution inviting ITU Member States to refrain from taking any unilateral and/or discriminatory actions that could impede access to the Internet.

Which bring us to the WCIT and the issue that is causing a stir in the IT community — is ITU planning to try to usurp control of the Internet?  As part of the opening ceremonies, Fadi Chehadé, president of ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) proclaimed a new season of  cooperation between ICANN and ITU.  Addressing today’s “historic opening ceremony,” Chehadé said  “I am here because I believe in the power of engagement. Engagement starts with listening.”

In spite of all assurances to the contrary, many Internet companies and interested parties are concerned that this is yet another attack on governance of the Internet.  With many years of an open and technology-based system, folks are not enthused about seeing control move to an organization that is composed of nations, with monitoring and censorship goals in stark opposition to the current open system.

Not only is there talk of the ITU taking over the responsibilities of ICANN (assigning Internet numbering, addressing and identification services), but also the possibility that ITU member nations might be allowed to tax Internet content companies for transmitting data across national boundaries.  Such proposals are coming from Russia, Africa, and the Middle East, areas where the internet is having a profound impact on society.

ITU started out as the International Telegraph Union back in 1865 and then was renamed the International Telecommunications Union in 1932.  Due to the technical basis of it’s work, ITU has been in the forefront of International Standardization and creating standards in advance of implementation for many years.  However, in this case, the Internet has been developed and shaped independently, leaving ITU behind as new systems for standards development have been created by the Internet Society and it’s IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), IAB (Internet Architecture Board), and IRTF (Internet Research Task Force).

We’ll be watching to see what developments occur as the WCIT continues for the next two weeks.  But for more information as the conference progresses, see the Internet Society webpage on this meeting.

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