Government showdown could break up Internet, experts warn
Date: Monday, November 14, 2005 @ 22:19:03 GMT
Topic: General
A tense dispute over US control of the Internet in the
run-up to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) could
eventually lead to the break-up of the global network and hamper
seamless browsing, officials warned Monday.
The warning came as the United States told EU participants at
negotiations on Internet governance that it was determined to maintain
its oversight over the technical and administrative infrastructure at
the root of the network.
In a letter seen by AFP, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez called on the British presidency of
the European Union to drop its proposal for an international
alternative.
"We ask the EU to reconsider its new position on Internet governance
and work together with us to bring the benefits of the information
society to all," the United States wrote.
A European diplomat, who declined to be named, said the letter was tantamount to "an attempt at intimidation".
Robert Shaw of the UN's International Telecommunication Union, said:
"Since the positions are so polarised we may end up with a fractured
Internet."
Either the search for a "democratic" international solution prevails,
or the Internet could fragment into a multitude of networks before an
eventual international coordination mechanism sticks them back
together, he added.
Late Monday, the chairman of the negotiations, Janis Karklins of
Finland, asked government negotiators to examine a new draft compromise
to try to resolve their three-year deadlock before the summit, which
begins on Wednesday.
The outcome could determine who eventually controls the Internet's
technical and administrative infrastructure, which allows the computer
network to function worldwide...
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.physorg.com/news8159.html
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NATIONS PREPARE TO FIGHT FOR INTERNET, November 14
As the United States and Europe prepare to slug it out over the
ownership of the Internet at the upcoming United Nations conference on
information technology, there is growing concern that the World Wide
Web is being excessively politicized, and that might hamper its
innovative driving force.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news8168.html
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