US: expanding internet access should be focus of world information summit
Regional-USA, Economics, 10/29/2005

The future of the Internet and its role in the lives of people around the world come into international focus November 16-18 as negotiators gather in Tunis, Tunisia, for the final round of discussions in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

This meeting stems from a 2001 resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly that acknowledged the need for leaders at the highest political levels to "marshal the global consensus and commitment required to promote the urgently needed access of all countries to information, knowledge and communication technologies" to reap the full benefits of the information and communication technologies (ICT) revolution.

A plan of action to pursue goals of expanding ICT access came out of the first round of the summit held in Geneva in 2003. As the Tunis meeting approached over the last few months, ongoing talks became mired in a dispute about Internet governance.

Some nations and entities, including the European Union, advocate greater governmental control of the Internet through some form of international agency, likened to the International Telecommunications Union.

The United States is opposed to such a change, arguing that the Internet's security and stability are best maintained through the current systems of technical controls overseen by the Internet Commission on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The US coordinator for international communication and information policy is raising questions about whether this issue is overshadowing more important ones.

"As important as the Internet governance discussions are," says Ambassador David A. Gross, "I don't think anybody believes that as a result of them there will be one more computer or one more cell phone in rural parts of Africa, South America, Asia or anywhere else."

The plan of action adopted at the conclusion of WSIS-Phase 1 in December 2003 laid out clear targets for increasing ICT access and Internet connectivity for rural villages, schools, health care facilities, libraries and universities in the developing world.

The plan also set goals for online access for local governments, for the availability of content in all languages and for developing primary and secondary school curricula to meet the challenges of the information society.

"I think, as I look around the world, that a lot of progress has been made in those areas. But of course there's a lot of work still to be done," said Gross in an interview.

Gross said countries that have created a free market environment for the expansion of telecommunications services have seen prices fall and availability and numbers of subscribers soar.

He said he hopes the upcoming WSIS meeting will serve as a forum for the exchange of successful strategies in telecommunications expansion among developing-world delegates.

The United States is backing a number of initiatives to help developing nations expand their telecommunications programs, notably the Digital Freedom Initiative, which supports projects and training in Senegal, Peru, Indonesia and Jordan.

The US Agency for International Development is involved in helping to expand ICT access and capabilities in about 80 nations. The US government devotes about $200 million to these goals each year, supporting about 500 ICT development activities.

In a November 2 Internet chat, Gross will preview the upcoming WSIS summit and discuss his views on why the current governance structure is the best way to preserve the nature of the Internet as an innovative medium.

Gross will be available to answer questions at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT). To ask a question or make a comment, please register at iipchat@state.gov. Questions and comments are welcome in advance of and during the November 2 program.

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