Internet Governance: the State of Play

The Global Forum on Internet Governance held by the UNICT Task Force in New York on 25-26 March concluded that Internet governance issues were many and complex. The Secretary-General's Working Group on Internet Governance will have to map out and navigate this complex terrain as it makes recommendations to the World Summit on an Information Society in 2005. To assist in this process, the Forum recommended, in the words of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations at the closing session, that a matrix be developed "of all issues of Internet governance addressed by multilateral institutions, including gaps and concerns, to assist the Secretary-General in moving forward the agenda on these issues." This paper takes up the Deputy Secretary-General's challenge. It is an analysis of the state of play in Internet governance in different forums, with a view to showing: (1) what issues are being addressed (2) by whom, (3) what are the types of consideration that these issues receive and (4) what issues are not adequately addressed

The Contributory Effect of Latency on the Quality of Voice Transmitted over the Internet

Deployment of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is rapidly growing worldwide due to the new services it provides and cost savings derived from using a converged IP network. However, voice quality is affected by bandwidth, delay, latency, jitter, packet loss e.t.c. Latency is the dominant factor that degrades quality of voice transfer. There is therefore strong need for a study on the effect of Latency with the view to improving Quality of Voice (QoV) in VoIP network. In this work, Poisson probability theorem, Markov Chain, Probability distribution theorems and Network performance metric were used to study the effect of latency on QoS in VoIP network. This is achieved by considering the effect of latency resulting from several components between two points in multiple networks. The NetQoS Latency Calculator, Net-Cracker Professional® for Modeling and Matlab/Simulink® for simulating network were tools used and the results obtained compare favourably well with theoretical facts

The Law of Cross-Border Securitization: Lex Juris

Denna uppsats kretsar kring beslutsfattande och metodik vid fastighetsinvesteringar i potentiella tillväxtnoder. Då fastighetssektorn är så omfattande har vi valt att avgränsa oss till en speciell typ av fastigheter, närmare bestämt logistikfastigheter. Ytterligare en fördjupning har skett, där vi valt ut en specifik investering i området, för att fördjupa oss om denna. Det specifika fall vi valt att ta mestadels av vår data från är Rosersbergs industriområde, även känt som Stockholm Nord Logistikcenter. Som en referenspunkt till Stockholm Nord Logistikcenter har vi i arbetet även skrivit översiktligt om Arenastaden, som är belägen i Solna. En del tidigare forskning har gjort på området Logistik, och somliga av dessa studier har vi även tagit del av för att utvinna information inom ämnet som även kunnat användas i vårt arbete. Dock har den studien vi främst använt oss av varit inriktad på logistik i sin helhet och inte ett specifikt fall. På cirka 9 år har området utanför Rosersberg villastad förvandlats från en skog, inom ett bullerområde utanför en mindre bostadsort, till en logistiknod där ett tiotal stora företag bedriver verksamhet i tusentals kvadratmeter lokaler. Allt detta i något som tros komma att bli ett av de största logistikcentrena i hela Sverige, och med tanke för de framtidsplaner som finns är det inte osannolikt. Den största drivkraften för projektet har varit Kilenkrysset, men detta med hjälp av gott samarbetsvilja från offentlig sektor. Vår studie kretsar kring vilka faktorer som påverkat till att denna investering blivit lyckad, samt vilken typ av företag det är som bedrivit arbetet. Vi har även gått in på hur orten Rosersberg, som tidigare legat i lä, påverkats av detta händelseförlopp. Innan projektet i Rosersberg initierades av Kilenkrysset har många frågor angående området diskuterats inom kommunen under många årtionden, dock har man aldrig kommit till skott på grund av bristande intresse och samhällsnytta. Utifrån det vi kunnat utläsa av den tillgängliga data vi samlat, har vi kunnat dra slutsatsen att utvecklingen bidragit till att göra platsen attraktiv för företag, men likväl för människor att numera bo i. Under arbetet har vi tagit kontakt med fyra respondenter som intervjuats, varav tre av dessa respondenter kommer från koncernen Kilenkrysset. Flera företag, bland annat NCC, har kontribuerat till utvecklingen i Rosersbergs industriområde, men Kilenkrysset är de som varit överlägset störst i området. Vi har även haft kontakt med en före detta anställd på bygg- och trafiknämnden i Sigtuna kommun för att få en objektiv, och mer överskådlig bild över hur samarbetet mellan offentlig sektor och investerare sett ut. För att bättre kunna förstå hur beslutsfattande skötts inom Kilenkrysset, både under och innan projektets fortgående, har vi studerat företaget mer grundligt. Information har framtagits kring företagets uppstart och dess historia, och hur det beslutsfattandet som till sist ledde dem till Rosersberg sett ut. Man kan klart se att både företaget i sin helhet och dess ledning är säregna, vilket man även ur materialet kan observera hur detta gynnat dem under projektets fortlöpande. Men även negativa aspekter har tagits upp angående deras beslutsfattande och tillvägagångssätt. Detta för att ge en rättvisande bild av vilka för- och nackdelar som i realiteten kretsar runt dessa metoder.This essay revolves around the desicion making process in real estate investments, where the investment contributes to the economic growth of the surrounding area. Due to the sheer size of the sector, we have chosen to limit our study to a specific type of real estate, which we decided to be logistic property. We have also chosen to study a specific case in more detail, to be able to understand how these projects develops. The case we chose was the investment of Rosersbergs Industrial park, also known as Stockholm Nord Logistic Centre. As a point of reference to this project we have chosen to briefly look into another, quite similar in size, project; Arenastaden in Solna. There have been studies made on Logistics in the past, some of which we have chosen to use as sources of information on our study. The study we used as the main source studied logistics on a different scale than ours, where the whole logistics market in Stockholm was studied. In merely 9 years the area surrounding Rosersberg has transformed, from unexploited land suffering from airport noise, into a rapidly growing logistics center where dozens of companies have chosen to exist. All this in an area many believe will be one of the biggest logistic centers in Sweden, which is not unlikely due to the future plans of the area. The company that initiated the project, which also has been the driving force is Kilenkrysset AB, with a lot of assistance from a supportive municipality. Before the company's initiative in the area, the municipality has been contemplating since the 60's what to do with the area, and how to make it grow. The issue before the company came along was almost solely economical; because there was no solid plan or investor to take care of the area and the infrastructure surrounding it. Based on the data we collected the area has improved its attraction both to companies, as well as to the residents in the area. Our study will attempt to determine which of the variables had the greatest importance on the end result of the project. As well as to study which type of company that decides to take on these kinds of projects. We have also studied how the surrounding area in Rosersberg has grown as a result of this specific investment. To gather information on the subject, we have contacted four respondents, which consists of three people from the Kilenkrysset organization. The reason why the majority of the interviewed respondents has been from one single company is because they have by far been the biggest investor in the area. The construction company NCC has also been part of the development in the area, but have sold most of their property to Kilenkrysset. The last respondent is from the building and traffic department within the municipality (Bygg- och trafiknämnden). Since we want to understand how decision making is handled within these types of organizations, we have chosen to study Kilenkrysset more thoroughly. Information about their history and the decision making process that eventually lead them to Rosersberg. From the information collected we can conclude that the company and its management have quite an extraordinary way of doing business. It is also obvious how their way of thinking has benefited them throughout their project in Rosersberg. But every technique has consequences, and we will also enlighten these consequences to try to observe both the pros and the cons about these methods

Understanding Balance Requirements for Standards-Development Organizations

Most technical standards-development organizations (SDOs) have adopted internal policies embodying “due process” criteria such openness, balance of interest, consensus decision making and appeals. Yet these criteria lack a generally-accepted definition and the manner in which they are implemented varies among SDOs. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the principle that SDOs should ensure a balance of interests among their stakeholders. This article explores the origins and meaning of the balance requirement for SDOs. In doing so, it identifies four “tiers” of balance requirements, ranging from those required of all SDOs under applicable antitrust law, to those required of SDOs that wish to benefit from particular statutory and accreditation schemes, to those that are purely voluntary. Beyond first tier balance requirements, which prohibit anticompetitive attempts to skew decision making processes within an SDO, the imposition of greater degrees of balance among SDO stakeholders, whether through numerical quotas or affirmative participant recruitment efforts, are largely voluntary and dependent on an SDO’s policy preferences

Influencing the Internet: Democratizing the Politics that Shape Internet Governance

Internet governance refers to the processes to make decisions about how the internet is managed locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. This sociotechnical infrastructure (which includes the people, practices, standards and institutions that govern different components of the internet) has evolved in a way that is often indifferent to questions of human rights, justice and democracy.Research from this new white paper by the National Democratic Institute has found there is a lack of meaningful participation or oversight in these institutions from civil society, journalists and democratically elected political actors. The voices heard in internet policy and regulatory spaces are not geographically diverse, with inadequate representation from outside of North America, Europe and China. Even among high-income countries, women of all backgrounds, as well as people with disabilities and those who do not speak English fluently, face challenges in participating in internet governance fora.Current models of internet governance are being challenged from different directions, not all of them positive for democracy, as different stakeholders acknowledge these flaws. One challenge is in determining how multistakeholder institutions can reinvent themselves to offer a better alternative and avert a slide toward state-dominated governance models, by making themselves into something that stakeholders who currently feel excluded have greater reason to support. If these traditionally underrepresented stakeholders were to gain more negotiating leverage in internet governance institutions, existing and future norms would be renegotiated and the resulting standards, policies and protocols would have the potential to better serve democratic outcomes.This white paper explores some of the barriers to participation in national, regional and international fora on the development of internet norms, policies, and standards. It also outlines recommendations for different stakeholder groups, including donors, development agencies, governments, activists, civil society organizations, internet governance institutions, and the private sector, to improve coordination and make meaningful progress towards more inclusive outcomes

Nurturing the Accumulation of Innovations: Lessons from the Internet

The innovations that became the foundation for the Internet originate from two eras that illustrate two distinct models for accumulating innovations over the long haul. The pre-commercial era illustrates the operation of several useful non-market institutional arrangements. It also illustrates a potential drawback to government sponsorship – in this instance, truncation of exploratory activity. The commercial era illustrates a rather different set of lessons. It highlights the extraordinary power of market-oriented and widely distributed investment and adoption, which illustrates the power of market experimentation to foster innovative activity. It also illustrates a few of the conditions necessary to unleash value creation from such accumulated lessons, such as standards development and competition, and nurturing legal and regulatory policies.

The Open Road: How To Build a Sustainable Open Infrastructure System

The open infrastructure ecosystem spans open source software and standards, and is a shifting constellation of individuals, organisations and private and public bodies. Working with Omidyar Networks, this report sets out how governments, civil society and philanthropic organisations can build sustainability in the open infrastructure ecosystem.Over the past decades, open source and open standards have emerged as the de facto way digital technologies are created. From individual developers building a profile and skills to interoperability between multi-billion dollar companies, open source software and open standards are universal technological forces.Despite this economic and industrial reliance on open infrastructure, the ecosystem as a whole faces a sustainability crisis. There is a major gap in funding, a gap felt most acutely at the foundations and by open source communities outside the digital limelight. For some developers, upskilling, economic security and a love for coding covers the costs of participation, but for many potential participants the barriers remain high. This includes non-code participants in an ecosystem where legal, management, governance and communications skills are in short supply. Where funding is available there remain gaps in tooling, governance and skills for OS communities to manage the money they receive and the responsibilities that come with it.But money isn't everything. We need to defend the open infrastructure ecosystem from state and corporate capture, inadvertent or otherwise. We need to support its maintenance. We need to incentivise participation from a diverse group of participants. And we need to talk about why this all matters to a non-technical audience, be they corporate budget holders or government decision makers. These priorities should inform philanthropic decision-making

A Model for Emergency Service of VoIP Through Certification and Labeling

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) will transform many aspects of traditional telephony service including technology, the business models and the regulatory constructs that govern such service. This transformation is generating a host of technical, business, social and policy problems. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could attempt to mandate obligations or specific solutions to the policy issues around VoIP, but is instead looking first to industry initiatives focused on key functionality that users have come to expect of telecommunications services. High among these desired functionalities is access to emergency services that allow a user to summon fire, medical or law enforcement agencies. Such services were traditionally required (and subsequently implemented) through state and federal regulations. Reproducing emergency services in the VoIP space has proven to be a considerable task, if for no other reason then the wide and diverse variety of VoIP implementations and implementers. Regardless of this difficulty, emergency service capability is a critical social concern, making it is particularly important for the industry to propose viable solutions for promoting VoIP emergency services before regulators are compelled to mandate a solution, an outcome that often suffers compromises both through demands on expertise that may be better represented in industry and through the mechanisms of political influence and regulatory capture. While technical and business communities have, in fact, made considerable progress in this area, significant uncertainty and deployment problems still exist. The question we ask is: can an industry based certification and labeling process credibly address social and policy expectations regarding emergency services and VoIP, thus avoiding the need for government regulation at this critical time?1 We hypothesize that it can. To establish this, we developed just such a model for VoIP emergency service compliance through industry certification and device labeling. The intent of this model is to support a wide range of emergency service implementations while providing the user some validation that the service will operate as anticipated. To do this we first examine possible technical implementations for emergency services for VoIP. Next, we summarize the theory of certification as self-regulation and examine several relevant examples. Finally, we synthesize a specific model for certification of VoIP emergency services. We believe that the model we describe provides both short term and long-term opportunities. In the short term, an industry driven effort to solve the important current problem of emergency services in VoIP, if properly structured and overseen as we suggest, should be both effective and efficient. In the long term, such a process can serve as a model for the application of self-regulation to social policy goals in telecommunications, an attractive tool to have as telecommunications becomes increasingly diverse and heterogeneous

Internet... the final frontier: an ethnographic account: exploring the cultural space of the Net from the inside

The research project The Internet as a space for interaction, which completed its mission in Autumn 1998, studied the constitutive features of network culture and network organisation. Special emphasis was given to the dynamic interplay of technical and social conventions regarding both the Net’s organisation as well as its change. The ethnographic perspective chosen studied the Internet from the inside. Research concentrated upon three fields of study: the hegemonial operating technology of net nodes (UNIX) the network’s basic transmission technology (the Internet Protocol IP) and a popular communication service (Usenet). The project’s final report includes the results of the three branches explored. Drawing upon the development in the three fields it is shown that changes that come about on the Net are neither anarchic nor arbitrary. Instead, the decentrally organised Internet is based upon technically and organisationally distributed forms of coordination within which individual preferences collectively attain the power of developing into definitive standards. --