International internet connections costs

 This is a resubmission of a paper that the was previously written by the authors as former members of the WGIG and was presented in one of the ICT Task Force Series titled “Reforming Internet Governance – Perspectives from the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)”. As per one of the authors, Baher Esmat, the opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and may not necessarily reflect the views of the author's employer, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - ICANN.

1 “International Internet Connectivity -Are Poor Countries Subsidizing the Rich?”, ITU News Magazine, N° 03, April 2005, www.itu.int/itunews/manager/main.asp?lang=en&iYear=2005&iNumber=03.

2 “The Halfway Proposition,” “Background Paper on Reverse Subsidy of G8 Countries by African ISPs,” Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 19, 2002, www.afrispa.org/HalfwayDocs/HalfwayProposition_Draft4.pdf.

3


^ See, Accounting Rate Reform undertaken by ITU-T Study Group 3, www.itu.int/ITU-T/studygroups/com03/accounting-rate/.

4


^ “Identifying Key Regulatory and Policy Issues to Ensure Open Access to Regional Backbone Infrastructure Initiatives in Africa,” Global ICT Policy Division, The World Bank, December 9, 2004, http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/ict/resources.nsf/a693f575e01ba5f385256b500062af05/74c4f7dbbc6d184485256f950062c5c9/$FILE/AfricaInfrastructurePolicyandRegulatoryReport.pdf.

5


^ John Hibbard, et al, “International Internet Connectivity and its Impact on Australia”, Final Report on an Investigation for the Department of Communication Information Technology and the Arts, (Canberra, Australia, May 31, 2004), www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/16616/IIC_report_-_web_version.doc.

6


^ Daniel Roseman, “The Digital Divide and the Competitive Behaviour of Internet Backbone Providers: A Way Forward,” paper presented at a special meeting of the ITU rapporteur’s group dealing with international internet connectivity, Brussels, April 2003, www3.sympatico.ca/droseman/RosemanIISPaper.pdf.

7


^ Daniel C.H. Mah , “Explaining Internet Connectivity: Voluntary Interconnection Among Commercial Internet Service Providers,” paper presented at the 31st Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy, Arlington, VA, September 20, 2003, web.si.umich.edu/tprc/papers/2003/181/Explaining_Internet_Connectivity_Mar26-03.DOC.pdf.

8


^ Commission of the European Union, Explanatory Memorandum of the Recommendation on the Provision of Leased Lines in the European Union, C(2005) 103/2, (Brussels, January 1, 2005),

9


^ Geoff Huston, “Where's the Money? - Internet Interconnection and Financial Settlements,” The ISP Column, Internet Society (January 2005),

10


^ Mohamed A. El-Nawawy, "Profiling Internet Users in Egypt: Understanding the Primary Deterrent Against Their Growth in Number," INET 2000 Conference Proceedings,

11


^ www.ntra.gov.eg/english/DPages_DPagesDetails.asp?ID=128&Menu=3

12 http://www.mcit.gov.eg/publication.asp

13 International Telecommunication Union, “Internet on the Nile: Egypt Case Study,” March 2001,

14


^ http://www.mcit.gov.eg/publication.asp

15 The information in this section comes from interviews with carriers and service providers that operate in Egypt.

16


^ “MCI Policy for Settlement-Free Interconnection with Internet Networks”, .

17 See, ITU-T Study Group 3, .

18


^ A Handbook on Internet Protocol (IP)-Based Networks and Related Topics and Issues (Geneva: ITU, 2005), .

19 “WSIS Plan of Action,” paragraph C2. 9. (Geneva, December 12, 2003), .

20 Report of the Working Group on Internet Governance, (Geneva: United Nations, June 2005) www.wgig.org/docs/WGIGREPORT.pdf.

21


^ “Via Africa: Creating local and regional IXPs to save money and bandwidth,” Discussion paper prepared for IDRC and ITU for the 2004 Global Symposium for Regulators, (ITU, Geneva, 2005), .

22 “The Great African Internet Robbery,” BBC News, (April 15, 2002), .