I am not wearing my Google hat – I am here with my Internet Pioneer hat
We share a common set of principles that we would like to be true – some observations
- affordable whatever economic circumstances
- useful – local content must be developed to provide utility
- reliable – back from Cuba – download to hard drives – “cargasm”
- Safe and secure
- Electricity – solar and wind power, bicycle generators
Level of ingenuity is amazing – desire to be a part of this emerging environment
What are the desirable properties for Internet policy?
Need to be adapted to local conditions, level of local expertise.
What would drive those policies to be adopted?
Understanding incentives is fundamental - if we want them to change we must understand why they do what they do.
(Spoken later: Getting everyone connected is my job for last 40 years. Most important is to understand that in pursuing the Global Connect Initiative – what steps will have concrete positive results – without this, hard to keep momentum going – people need positive feedback their ideas payoff – we must be thoughtful about what those goals are, and how achievable, so we have early positive outcomes, monitoring what happens especially when investing. Not just about money, it’s about incentives.
Manu talked about cooperating and collaborating… Even in the absence- the Internet allows individual incentives and still produce the result. So long as incentives for active parties are there)
What can we cause them to invest more in ICT?
What are barriers to shifting incentives?
Be cognizant of (existing) momentum in growth of Internet – mobile phone – investment in infrastructure – must accelerate that momentum – any proposal to pursue further internet growth should not erode momentum already there – add to it, not interfere
Internet is layered structure; packets don’t know what they are carrying. Opportunities for organizations to contribute to operation of the Internet at different layers. Google goes up and down the vertical chain: fiber to apps, other organizations are horizontal – so many opportunities. to engage for business – we must not lose the diverse ways organizations and individuals can contribute and have incentive to contribute
When it became easy to put information on Internet, and avalanche showed up – hoping it would be useful. So search engines showed up.
So many different ways individuals, governments can participate in making more internet, more useful and more available. Keep in mind all are important because different incentives for participating – and don’t want to lose any of those incentives – advance growth – in any given potential regions.
Participants spoke (available if each participant permits their release)
Vint synthesized from what was said:
Short and long term – 4 areas for us to make recommendations
1. What should Manu carry back to Dc to encourage for 4/13-14 – given finance ministers and regulators meeting? (Gap today: many countries come to ICANN because didn’t know where else to go – was at mercy of private sector teleco’s maximizing profit – a real desire for advice to get the outcomes they are looking for. Government investment in infrastructure can set up framework for industry – Australian example – investing in national backbone – Uganda fiber network – wholesale can be resold by ISP’s. ISP’s get help of backbone – investment that private sector can make to enable others to provide service)
2. How do we get universal coverage – environment, incentives for everyone connected? Overcome natural tendency to focus on most profitable segment – that is not OK. Don’t allow ourselves to make it binary – Give me connectivity – when you hear what people have been able to do with practically nothing – it’s really amazing – don’t be elitist – some connectivity is better than nothing.
3. Use Case –what will make it useful for people coming online for the first time. If there is nothing there for them to encounter – first person who gets a telephone – who to call. How to get content online that is useful? I am not sure we listen enough. We make up applications that are not actually useful. Send email, get on Facebook, but information they look for can be quite different. What is culturally appropriate? How do we actually listen? How do we get the information – how can they tell us what they are looking for
4. Empowerment and Enabling – true secret of Internet – it is enabling at all levels and at all dimensions – its openness is what created that enabling power – what is it we should seek to enable? Who do we have to persuade? Do they know they can build a piece of the net? Internet was designed if you could build a piece of it – and connect to something – it should work. Healthcare, education… explain that environment that they are in, can enable things to happen – getting message across could be really powerful. How to deliver message – give examples of how enabling can work.
(3 recommendations were for 1,2 and 3-4 combined)
Vint lead the universal access discussion – here were his remarks on the idea of a “model bid”
How to generate a huge amount of interest – dangle a large enough bait then industry will WANT to respond – Bechtel etc. will be willing to pull together a variety of responses. Must be real money behind it.
Under World Bank rules – money is loaned to countries – those loans are paid back. What we are talking about here is not a contract to build something – it's a contract to offer services – have to run it. Terms & Condition’s in RFP must incorporate how operated, maintained, costs to operate and roadmap. Lot of concern that we don’t end up with responses with current technology – stimulate ideas for new ways of doing things
Not 2G to 3G to …. Do not have to replicate history
One tactic to get new ideas – get RFI – and ask people to suggest new ways to achieve objective
Regional focus – common problems – Opt in treatment – to organize regionally, but not mandated
Avoid solutions that are nuts
Don’t want old style solutions
Concern – if did RFP with intent of getting everyone connected – could end up with 1 provider – so don’t want to design system that has built into it one provider – want to offer consumer choice. Don’t want to go to monopoly – don’t get put in that track
RFP should include measurement and reporting of what is actually happening – so people can assess quality they are getting – which is validated. Not just the vendor reported
Right incentives – that exercise would be really valuable
Case of Estonia with a population of 1.5 million people this is a number small enough to do it for 100% of population. Interesting exercise to se what happens if you can do it for everyone
While talking about possibilities that they have not lived – hard to talk about it, even showing doesn’t work. Like a religious experience – to see packets didn’t drop. (have to Show not Tell)
However we architect solutions – provide plenty of room to allow people who hit the problem to solve the problem: Think really carefully that we are enabling – whether funding, tech, hardware, apps – mobile phone allows 3rd parties to design a solution to something – this is very valuable – not dependent on maker of phone – (enabling frameworks that) retain the 3rd party solution
How do we help govs recognize they can set policies to enable people to empower people?
You need to help govs see the story and understand why that worked.
How do we get out of the way? I am proud of US government for initiating Internet project and we are step by step getting out of the way:
It’s now a gigantic bottom up thing
Final 4 Tweets from Vint:
1. Focus more on people centricity
2. We need to give users choice
3. There is power in the private sector
4. Enable it