Internet Governance

A New Zealand perspective

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Introduction

New Zealand Internet governance.The following case studies:

.nz ccTLD managementTelecommunications regulationDigital StrategyAnti-SpamENUMOutreach

Conclusion

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Where in the world is New Zealand?

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Government with its hands off

Internet Governance in New Zealand is “Government hands off”, stakeholder driven, best practice based.

Government’s preference is to avoid regulation or legislation where it can, and to intervene only when absolutely necessary

Follows a common theme in New Zealand policy and regulation development.

Some case studies explain this further…

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General Position

The NZ Government would rather not regulate, where it can avoid doing so.

Preference is to leave it to the “experts”.

InternetNZ is one expert, along with other organisations like TUANZ, Computer Society, ICTNZ and Internet Safety Group.

Government seeks to empower InternetNZ to do the job, on behalf of the local Internet community.

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What is InternetNZ?

We are a not-for-profit Incorporated Society – governed by members and volunteers.We manage the .nz domain name space, and own the .nz domain name registry, which provides most of our funding.We are involved in a wide range of public policy and technical issues relating to the Internet. (e.g. WHOIS)Our constitution requires us to act in the best interests of the local Internet community rather than in the best interests of our members.

“The Internet, open and uncaptureable, offering high performance and unfettered access to all.”

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.nz ccTLD management

A good example of “hands off”.

NO legislation or regulations.

Managed by a series of contracts and agreements between relevant parties, with defined policies and procedures.

Governed by an InternetNZ Committee (the .nz Oversight Committee).

Regulated by the world’s first privately appointed “Domain Name Commissioner”.

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The .nz Domain Name Space

InternetNZ

NZOC

DNC

AuthorisedRegistrars

Service Level AgreementAuthorisation Agreement

Registrants

Connection Agreement

Registrant Agreement

NZRS

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Consultation

Our rule is to consult with *all* stakeholders *always*.

In our monopoly .nz registry, we have 85% of registrants “satisfied”.

Registrants have approved up to NZ$6 per annum for use on non .nz related INZ activities.

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Telecoms Regulation

Telecom NZ privatised in 1990Now joined by TelstraClear and other, smaller telco providersNo specific sector regulation – ordinary competition law only until 20012001 Telecommunications Act still extremely light-handed by international standardsThis follows the “hands off” approach already discussed.InternetNZ, a civil society body, made high quality submissions on a review of the Act’s framework

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Telecoms Regulation…

Recently engaged in an ongoing ‘determination’ on Unbundled Bitstream Service – the local substitute for local loop unbundling.

Why InternetNZ involvement? It was seen as important to provide a voice for consumers and small ISPs, whose views have not been represented in regulatory proceedings before.

Only likely threat to the regulatory status quo (“hands-off”) is the (monopoly-like) behaviour of the incumbent telco.

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Digital Strategy

Government produced a draft Digital Strategy for public feedback in June 2004, final version released in May 2005.Specific outcomes linked to specific funding, and agencies held accountable for delivery.Strong preference for private sector delivery – e.g. $24m fund for development of local open-access fibre networks by community organisations & local govt, not central govt.Once again, a “hands off” approach. The Strategy facilitates, but does not control, development.

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Anti-Spam

Key initiative where InternetNZ has sought legislative back-up for an Anti-Spam Code of Practice.

Unusual for InternetNZ to promote the concept of legislation on anything.

Legislation should be before Parliament this year.

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Cyber Law

InternetNZ and Victoria University (Wellington) School of Law joint venture to appoint a Fellow of Cyberlaw.Worldwide search; expect to announce first Fellow next week.InternetNZ contributes NZ$85k per year, VUW contributes resources and management.Output is a major research paper on issue in “cyberlaw”.

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ENUM

InternetNZ has held multi-stakeholder workshops on ENUM

InternetNZ has scripted and trialled use of PUA / UCI in NZ.

Releasing report on “wooden-man” model for ENUM trial in NZ.

InternetNZ and TCF have a joint ENUM Task Force.

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Parliamentary Internet Caucus

Establishment process nearly complete.

Any Members of Parliament with an interest in Internet activities can belong.

InternetNZ provides access to expertise in the MP’s expressed areas of interest.

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Outreach

Committed to open source solutions:Released source code for Shared Registry SystemReleasing source code for PUA for ENUM

Codes of PracticeISP CoP consultation completed and will be launched in next quarterCommencing Internet Café CoP consultation soon

InternetNZ will be hosting the ICANN meeting in Wellington, March 2006.

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Outreach

InternetNZ is a provider of funding for many Internet related activities, including:

Seed funding for Interoperability testing laboratorySeed funding for Next Generation Internet consortiumSecretariat to APTLD, APCAUCE and other Asia Pacific based organisationsCo-sponsor with NZ Government to recruit entries to the WSA web site awards for Tunisia

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Outreach

Pacific Internet Partnership (PIP) programme evolved as part of outreach for technical excellence in the Pacific Islands:

UNESCO and UNDP partner with InternetNZ and jointly fundRecognises the place of NZ in the South Pacific

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Pacific Island Outreach

NZ Population * Island Population **

Samoa 115,817 170,900

Cook 52,569 19,300

Tonga 40,716 99,400

Niue 20,148 1,900

Fiji 7,041 -

Tokelau 6,204 1,500

Tuvalu 1,965 10,000

TOTAL 244,460 303,000

* Source – NZ Department of Statistics (Census 2001)

** Source – South Pacific Commission Demographic / Population programme (2001 Estimate)

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Summary

In New Zealand, “Internet Governance” is dominated by non-state actors.

Relationship between government and the local Internet community is stable, healthy and functional.

No major drivers for change to this status quo are apparent.

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Conclusion

A different example of a fully functional public private partnership.

Small, but perfectly formed.

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Thank you

Keith DavidsonExecutive Director

keith@internetnz.net.nz

www.internetnz.net.nz