We’ve been looking at various aspects of the WCIT proposals over the past few months. Here’s a summary for those who have the right to vote.
LIRNEasia’s analysis breaks down some of the most controversial positions expressed by Member States in recent weeks and their potential impact to the continued proliferation of global Internet access.
We highlight four key areas that should be of interest to international observers and government delegations during the WCIT:
· Arab States, African Telecommunication Union, & Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications – New Regulations On Access Charges: The regions’ proposals seek to fundamentally alter the nature of the Internet’s infrastructure by imposing fees for content coming into networks. The regulation of “access charges” as mandated in the treaty could also impose new fees on developing-world Internet users or result in them being deprived of content in a Balkanized Internet.
· Arab States, African Telecommunication Union, & Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications – Regulating Private Entities: The proposals submitted by these regions set out revisions that would result in new economic regulation of the Internet. Under these proposals, the scope of the treaty has been expanded to address mostly private companies, including entities that are not directly engaged in international telecommunication, and possibly even individual users of telecommunications services.
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