(Although the content of this article is not the latest telecommunication issue, I believe that it is a good example which shows how U.S. telecom. view or policy can be different with international one. In addition, this article shows how the effect of the difference on telecommunication issues among nations can be severe. In my opinion, this article is interesting, so I would like to share with the class. Sung Hyung Lee)
INTERNET
World vs. U.S. for Web Control
BY BEN WORTHEN
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Debate during a United Nations conference this month will highlight a growing rift between the United States and the rest of the world over Internet governance that could result in changes to how the World Wide Web can be used.
The purpose of the World Summit on the Information Society, which opens in Tunis Nov. 16, is to generate ideas and strategies for extending the benefits of the Internet and other communications technology to the developing world. But these goals are being overshadowed by an effort among some of the world's most influential governments to transfer management of the Internet infrastructure to an international body. The United States opposes the idea, and if no agreement can be reached there's a possibility that countries could end up creating their own versions of the Internet with their own rules for its use—a move that would disrupt international business.
Currently the Internet is coordinated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), an independent organization that has international representation but is based in the United States and has close ties to the U.S. government. ICANN assigns domain names, manages the Internet's root servers and maps IP addresses to the domains.
A handful of countries, including Brazil, China and South Africa, have argued that de facto control of ICANN by the United States is incompatible with a global network. They maintain, for example, that the current governance structure does not accommodate domain names that use non-Western characters, making the Web less accessible to someone who doesn't know a Western language.
The internationalization proposal seemed to be headed nowhere until September, when the European Union changed its position and decided to support it. "We are looking for a new model which allows Internet governance on the basis of cooperation with all governments and stakeholders because the Internet is a global infrastructure," says Martin Selmayr, spokesman for EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding.
American and international business interests agree that it's important to extend the reach of the Internet, but that these needs don't warrant a new bureaucracy. "Bureaucracy would not be consistent with the dynamic nature of the Internet," says Ayesha Hassan, senior policy manager and executive in charge of information and communication technologies for the International Chamber of Commerce.
The United States would have to agree to any change in how the Internet is governed, and that seems unlikely. That leaves advocates of internationalization with little recourse but the threat to build new regional or national Internets that could be incompatible with the current one. If this were to occur, the Internet would no longer be an open global network.
Negotiators planned to meet once more immediately before the summit. But the two sides are so deeply entrenched in their positions that at press time an agreement seemed unlikely, according to Heather Shaw, director for e-commerce and telecommunications policy at the United States Council for International Business.
Source: CIO - http://www.cio.com/archive/111505/tl_internet.html
Monday, January 29, 2007
MEMO #2: History of ITU
On May 17, 1865, International Telegraph Union, which is the mother of current International Telecommunications Union (ITU), was established in Paris by the 20 founding members to facilitate international telegraph interconnection, adopted uniform telegraph operating instructions which would apply to all countries, and laid down common international tariff and accounting rules [1]. The name of the Union was changed to International Telecommunication Union at the 1932 Madrid Conference, and today, the new name reflects the overall scope of the Union’s responsibilities from all forms of wireline and wireless communications [2].
According to ITU, its central role can be defined as the promotion and co-ordination of programmes to accelerate the transfer of appropriate technologies to developing countries and to stimulate co-operation between the public and private sectors to create technologies suited to the needs of developing countries [3].
The overall structure of ITU can be divided into three main sectors including Telecommunication Development (ITU-D), Radiocommunication (ITU-R), and Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T). Each sectors of the union can be distinguished by their unique activities. The activities of the three sectors are as follows:
· ITU-D: The activities include “the preparation of recommendations, opinions, guidelines, handbooks, manuals and reports, which provide decision-makers in developing countries with best business practices relating to a host of issues ranging from development strategies and policies to network management [4].”
· ITU-R: The activities include reporting of the technical characteristics of communication services and systems with developing of operational procedures. According to ITU, ITU-R also undertakes the important technical studies which serve as a basis for the regulatory decisions made at radiocommunication conference [5].
· ITU-T: The activities include the preparation of the technical specifications for telecommunication systems such as their performance and maintenance. In addition, “the activities cover the tariff principles and accounting methods used to provide international service. [6]”
According to ITU, its central role can be defined as the promotion and co-ordination of programmes to accelerate the transfer of appropriate technologies to developing countries and to stimulate co-operation between the public and private sectors to create technologies suited to the needs of developing countries [3].
The overall structure of ITU can be divided into three main sectors including Telecommunication Development (ITU-D), Radiocommunication (ITU-R), and Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T). Each sectors of the union can be distinguished by their unique activities. The activities of the three sectors are as follows:
· ITU-D: The activities include “the preparation of recommendations, opinions, guidelines, handbooks, manuals and reports, which provide decision-makers in developing countries with best business practices relating to a host of issues ranging from development strategies and policies to network management [4].”
· ITU-R: The activities include reporting of the technical characteristics of communication services and systems with developing of operational procedures. According to ITU, ITU-R also undertakes the important technical studies which serve as a basis for the regulatory decisions made at radiocommunication conference [5].
· ITU-T: The activities include the preparation of the technical specifications for telecommunication systems such as their performance and maintenance. In addition, “the activities cover the tariff principles and accounting methods used to provide international service. [6]”
Structure of ITU
Each sectors of ITU has their own mission. The missions of the three sectors are as follows:
• ITU-D: The mission of ITU-D is to achieve the situation that everyone of the world can communicate each other through access to infrastructure and information and communication services [7].
• ITU-R: The mission of the ITU-R is to ensure rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum by all radiocommunication services, and to carry out studies and adopt recommendations on radiocommunication matters [8].
• ITU-T: The mission of the ITU-T is to be the unique worldwide venue for industry and government to work together in developing, adopting, providing and promoting global consensus-based telecommunication recommendations (standards) for the information society [9].
Reference
[1] International Telecommunication Union. “History”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/history.html , Jan. 11, 2007 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[2] International Telecommunication Union. “History”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/history.html , Jan. 11, 2007 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[3] International Telecommunication Union. “Role of ITU”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ecdc/role.html , Aug. 28, 2001 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[4] International Telecommunication Union. “Role and Work of the Union- (ITU-D)”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/role-work.html , Nov. 15, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[5] International Telecommunication Union. “Role and Work of the Union- (ITU-R)”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/role-work.html , Nov. 15, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[6] International Telecommunication Union. “Role and Work of the Union- (ITU-T)”
Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/role-work.html , Nov. 15, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[7] International Telecommunication Union. “The Telecom. Development Sector Mission-(ITU-D)” Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/strategic_plans/04-07/d_mission.html , Jan. 14, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[8] International Telecommunication Union. “The Telecom. Development Sector Mission-(ITU-R)” Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/strategic_plans/04-07/r_mission.html , Jan. 14, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
[9] International Telecommunication Union. “The Telecom. Development Sector Mission-(ITU-T)” Internet: http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/strategic_plans/04-07/t_mission.html , Jan. 14, 2004 [Jan. 25, 2007]
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sung Hyung Lee 's Personal Background
Hello, everyone in International Telecommunications Policy Class. My name is Sung Hyung Lee, and I am a graduate student of Interdisciplinary Telecommunication Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
I am originally from Seoul, Korea and I have been in Boulder as student for 5 years. I have done my undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, and the major was management information systems.
My interests in Telecommunications are wireless communications, such as WCDMA, and GSM, and semiconductor concept relating to telecommunications. In addition, I am interested in fourth generation communications technologies, including WiMAX and Wibro, latter of which is being intensely researched by Korean companies.
I will be completing my master’s degree in May of 2007. After the graduate, I would like to work in semiconductor or telecommunication industries as an IT engineer.
I am originally from Seoul, Korea and I have been in Boulder as student for 5 years. I have done my undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, and the major was management information systems.
My interests in Telecommunications are wireless communications, such as WCDMA, and GSM, and semiconductor concept relating to telecommunications. In addition, I am interested in fourth generation communications technologies, including WiMAX and Wibro, latter of which is being intensely researched by Korean companies.
I will be completing my master’s degree in May of 2007. After the graduate, I would like to work in semiconductor or telecommunication industries as an IT engineer.
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