[afnog] Re: Request for input: The Working GrouponInternetGovernance

[Brian Longwe]

On Nov 18, 2004, at 11:51 PM, <Robert.Shaw at itu.int> wrote:

> huh? who said that? why do you think we have independent
> regulators (like PTS in Sweden) - they're the ones who need
> to look after/manage competition in the market. ISPs are not a cottage
> industry anymore (Bredbandsbolaget entering TeliaSonera's fixed line
> market in your home country being one fine example)... And there is
> ample empirical evidence that calling yourself an ISP doesn't magically
> prevent you from exercising egregious market behaviour. That's why we
> have regulators and concepts (at least in the EU) of things like SMP.
>


Actually Bob, I think I agree with Americo - we (especially here in 
Africa) are in the midst of massive change within our telecoms sectors. 
Almost without exception our telcos have failed to meet requirements 
for communications. The ongoing transformations render our markets such 
that the incumbents become simply on of the players (albeit with 
Significant Market Power - SMP) or as is probably more appropriate 
Significant Market Potential...

So - why should one of the players have more say over 
use/deployment/administration of collective resources than others? 
Isn't it better if all have opportunity to (equally) contribute towards 
overall resource management/allocation via a purpose-built body such as 
ICANN? Where there is far more equity (in terms of 
access/representation/opportunity) than in the ITU?

I still recall a conversation with a colleague last year when a paper 
within ITU about internet exchange points in Africa was circulated and 
he couldn't share it with me because it was "confidential" to the 
particular ITU-x group. These kind of constraints do not augur well, 
especially when the actual USERS and IMPLEMENTORS of the resource are 
not party to the planning/strategy process.

So - back to square one - let govts do what govts do best and what only 
govts can do i.e. legislate, arrest, prosecute, punish

..... and let operators do what operators do best i.e. build, operate 
and manage networks and services within self-governing, inclusive 
frameworks such as ICANN.

Longwe (other-other Brian)


>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: afnog-bounces at afnog.org
>> [mailto:afnog-bounces at afnog.org]On Behalf
>> Of americo at imit.kth.se
>> Sent: 18 November 2004 18:24
>> To: Begumisa Gerald M
>> Cc: afnog at afnog.org
>> Subject: Re: FW: [afnog] Re: Request for input: The Working
>> GrouponInternetGovernance
>>
>>
>> I think it would be a pathetic idea for ITU or even
>> Governments to think
>> that telco's are the best entities to manage Internet. If
>> Telcos finally
>> realise the importance of Internet, then they should
>> participate just like
>> any ordinary ISP, perhaps using their immense capital power to gain a
>> market share under normal comptetition laws.
>>
>>
>>
>> a./
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--
Brian Longwe
CellFon: +254 733 518744
"Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future." Yoda