IGF 2022 WS #372 Network neutrality, risks of Internet fragmentation

Organizer 1: PABLO HINOJOSA, APNIC

Speaker 1: Carl Gahnberg, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Emily Taylor, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Raúl Echeberría, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Moderator

PABLO HINOJOSA, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group

Online Moderator

Chris Buckridge, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Rapporteur

PABLO HINOJOSA, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group

Format

Round Table - Circle - 60 Min

Policy Question(s)

1. How do network regulations impact the continued development of an open and interoperable Internet?
2. Do you see Internet fragmentation being a consideration when new network regulations and policies are developed?
3. How can we mitigate the risks of Internet fragmentation in the development of new policies for our connected societies?

Connection with previous Messages:

SDGs

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
12. Responsible Production and Consumption
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions


Targets: Internet connectivity is cross-cutting among many SDGs. Regulatory frameworks for network neutrality affect SDG 16. Internet interconnection costs and market dynamics affect SDG 12. Technical advancements for preventing Internet fragmentation is related to SDG 9. Internet fragmentation affect economic growth, so SDG 8.

Description:

This roundtable workshop will discuss the impact of regulatory frameworks affecting Internet openness. Recent initiatives in some countries dealing with over-the-top services (OTT), and that intersect and possibly conflict with regulations and principles on network neutrality, may impose risks to interoperability of the Internet and may result in unintended consequences such as Internet fragmentation.

This workshop aims to analyse current networking behaviours and policy frameworks using recent case studies of new policies that impact the interconnectedness of the Internet. This includes efforts in South Korea, and recent debates in the European Union, related to regulation of paid peering between network providers. For instance, there have been increasing regulatory efforts to require Internet Service Providers to charge for traffic they receive from each other as well as from content providers.

From the technical point of view, we can discuss the relationship between new online services, deployment models and openness of the Internet. From the regulatory perspective, we explore how interventions in interconnection policies can impact network behavior.

The roundtable format of the workshop will provide the opportunity to share and discuss a diverse range of perspectives on these issues.

Ultimately, this session’s objective is to foster a greater understanding of network neutrality and its roles in the functioning of the Internet, and the importance of maintaining an open and global Internet for all.

Expected Outcomes

Record and analyze different perspectives from different disciplines on the question of network regulations and impact of network neutrality. This adds to the ongoing study of technical success factors of the Internet and how to preserve these when adopting new policies and regulations.

Hybrid Format: We will be providing full access and participation from both, physical and online participation, through active moderation and encouragement of questions and reactions. Consultation tools such as Menti could be used to provide seamless participation.

Online Participation



Usage of IGF Official Tool.