1. 1 OVERVIEW OF ICANN, ITU AND OTHER MAJOR PLAYERS – WHAT ARE ROLE FOR EACH Roundtable Disscussion: Internet Governance and Regulation Dr. Andris Virtmanis Director ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND POST DEPARTMENT PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Riga, 6 April 2005

2. 2 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Internet governance – institutions involved Hot topics before 2nd round of WSIS National actualities

3. 3 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Internet governance – institutions involved

4. 4 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MAIN PLAYERS IN INTERNET NAMING AND ADDRESSING ICANN ITU GAC WIPO RIRs ISO EC DG Infosoc NRAs National Registries

5. 5 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Took IANA administrative functions since 1998 Responsibility together with national ccTLD Registries for ensuring a stable, secure, open and easily accessable Domain Name System Mission: to co-ordinate the Internet’s systems of TLD unique identifiers; to operate and evolute the root name server system; the policy development related to these technical functions

6. 6 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION ITU International Telecommunications Union (specilized agency within the UN) Operable since 1865 Strong in technical standardization and international regulation of ”clacssical” telecommunications Previously weak in Internet governance More active Participation since 1st phase of WSIS – creation of a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) by UN Secretary_General WSIS Plan of Action (Dec 2003) invites “Governments to manage or supervise, as appropriate, their respective country code top-level domain name”

7. 7 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION ISO International Standartization Organization Involved in standardization of ccTLDs : ccTLD means a domain in the top level of the global domain name system assigned according to a two-letter code based on the ISO 3166-1 standard “CODES FOR THE REPRESENTATION OF NAMES OF COUNTRIES AND THEIR SUBDIVISIONS” Example:.lv

8. 8 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization Among other responsibilities involved in protecting intellectual property rights across Internet So-called “WIPO II” process iniciated in 2000 connected with difficulties over registration of country names in.info Currently it is essential that WIPO II recommendations be accomplished well before any other new TLDs are introduced

9. 9 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION GAC Government Advisory Committee at ICANN Consultative organization formed from governmental representatives for co-operation with ICANN and other actors The reason to create GAC – every government (or public authority) is encouraged to ensure that the ccTLD is being administered in the public interest, within the framework of its national public policy and relavent laws and regulations One of achievements: PRINCIPLES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF COUNTRY CODE TOP LEVEL DOMAINS (currently to be updated to include delegation and recognition of ccTLD Registries)

10. 10 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION RIRs Regional Internet Registries (also members of NRO – The Number Resource Organization) The development and execution of address allocation principles are organised on a regional level by following Registries (funded and governed by over 8000 organisations worldwide): APNIC – Asia-Pacific region ARIN – Northern America, parts of Caribbean, and continental Africa south to the equator LACNIC – Latin America and parts of Caribbean RIPE NCC – Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and continental Africa north to the equator AfriNIC - to be Registry for Africa (new)

11. 11 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Hot topics before 2nd round of WSIS

12. 12 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION NEW IPv6 ADDRESS SPACE DISTRIBUTION PRINCIPLES Proposed by ITU memorandum “ITU and Internet governance”(H.Zhao, Director of ITU TSB, 21 October 2004) – address space distribution principles based solely on national authorities Reasons: “some developing countries have raised issues regarding IP address allocation, lack of accountability, others….” Negative responses (worries) so-far: RIRs & NRO (Number Resource Organization) ETNO (European Telecommunications Operators’ Association)

13. 13 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION NRO’s SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE ITU PROPOSAL Strenghts RIR system is well-established self regulation model Weaknesses “there is a lack of accountability especially when it comes to the administration of IP addresses” Opportunities “it would seem opportune to develop principles for a broad framework of accountability” Threats “division of the Internet into more than one net” “problem of spam, overloading the Internet, serious threat to DNS system” “lack of transition from IPv4 to IPv6 so IP addresses become a scarce resource in certain parts of world”

14. 14 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION National actualities

15. 15 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION FACT: On 1 March 2005 the Latvian Government accepted as completed main provisions of the „Concept of establishment of Internet network service provider’s registration and state supervision system” from 2001 CONSEQUENCIES: 1) Authorization of ISPs by PUC 2) Involvement of the PUC in supervision of ccTLD

16. 16 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 1 TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 1 Electronic Communication Law in force in Latvia from 1 st December 2004Electronic Communication Law in force in Latvia from 1 st December 2004 According to NRF Internet service provision is included in definition of electronic communication servicesAccording to NRF Internet service provision is included in definition of electronic communication services Dilemma for European NRAs – to regulate or not to regulate VoIP because ISP not previously regulated?Dilemma for European NRAs – to regulate or not to regulate VoIP because ISP not previously regulated? Latvian case – voice including VoIP already regulated independently of technologyLatvian case – voice including VoIP already regulated independently of technology

17. 17 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 2 TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 2 Common Statement for VoIP regulatory approaches Common Statement for VoIP regulatory approaches of European Regulators Group (ERG) from 11 of European Regulators Group (ERG) from 11 February 2005 promoting internet-based services as February 2005 promoting internet-based services as well as estabishing requirements to introduce access well as estabishing requirements to introduce access to 112 emergency numbers and number portability to 112 emergency numbers and number portability services services In Latvia already since 2001 Law on In Latvia already since 2001 Law on Telecommunications public network operators Telecommunications public network operators requesting E.164 numbers are obliged to provide requesting E.164 numbers are obliged to provide access to emergency numbers & number portability access to emergency numbers & number portability services services

18. 18 PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 3 TRANSPOSITION OF THE NEW FRAMEWORK IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - 3 Latvian ECL defines ccTLD.lv as limited (scarce) resource like radio frequencies and phone numbersLatvian ECL defines ccTLD.lv as limited (scarce) resource like radio frequencies and phone numbers Delegation in ECL of rights to PUC to issue regulation for registration of ccTLDDelegation in ECL of rights to PUC to issue regulation for registration of ccTLD But – delegation of rights to operate national ccTLD Registry not yet decided & not in line with GAC Principles on ccTLDBut – delegation of rights to operate national ccTLD Registry not yet decided & not in line with GAC Principles on ccTLD Vision – to ammend the ECL allowing the PUC (?) to elaborate general requirments for Registry and Government (CoM) to delegate rights to operate the RegistryVision – to ammend the ECL allowing the PUC (?) to elaborate general requirments for Registry and Government (CoM) to delegate rights to operate the Registry

19. 19 Thank you much for attention ! andris.virtmanis@sprk.gov.lv