This year, the second meeting of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) was held in Singapore from June 16-17, 2011. It brought together about 300 representatives from senior government and private sector entities as well as the technical and academic community from across the region to exchange ideas and shape the future of Internet governance in this part of the world. I attended these discussions on behalf of The IUSN Foundation in order to exert a continued role in the shaping of new policies and procedures.
One of the largest discussions of this year’s IGF was the mechanics and benefits of the multi-stakeholder model, which is widely accepted and helps to preserve the open and inclusive operation of the Internet for its stakeholders. This in turn works to create an Internet with strong security, privacy, and stability, which are, of course, critically important to users and administrators alike. Without this model the Internet would be run by countries’ governments, private entities or even ICANN but it would result in a less secure, stable, and protected Internet; which would be harmful to everyone, as well as a potential threat to democracy and freedom.
Another topic discussed during the most recent IGF meeting was the continued future and outlook for broadband and mobile solutions. With the rise of broadband and mobile access, people are able to access the Internet more than before, including people from developing countries such as Niue, where The IUSN Foundation has successfully brought continually evolving Internet technology. One advantage that I have found with broadband and mobile solutions in developing countries in my experience is that in many of these areas, there isn’t any history in investing in large networks, so you are able to invest in the more cost effective mobile / wireless networks instead at the outset.
Finally, the growth of the Internet is another topic that is always discussed at IGF meetings. One of the most important factors in the continued growth of the Internet is the issue of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). As a result of this, the IGF has been working to influence ICANN to move forward with this issue and speed up the implementation of IDN TLDs across the domain system and industry. This has just been accomplished with the recent announcement earlier this week from ICANN that will allow brands, companies, places and individuals to register their names and category domains beginning in January 2012. This change will increase the available number of potential domain extensions across the industry, as well as the ability to create top-level domain names in nearly every language or script.
One of the things I really value and enjoy about these IGF discussions is that they allow for the meeting of minds and sharing of experiences among experts and stakeholders across the region and industry, such as The IUSN Foundation’s background with Niue, and the discussion of starting similar projects to be funded by the World Bank and other international institutes. These talks and discussions are incredibly valuable not just for the continued growth and success of the Internet for the future, but also for the furthering of The IUSN Foundation’s mission of creating more WiFi nations across the world in emerging nations. Stay tuned for more governance updates going forward and we welcome your comments and insights on these issues from the latest IGF.
What are your thoughts on ICANN’s latest decision?
