L I R N E . N E T

The Association for Progressive Communication (APC), the Third World Institute (ITeM), and Dutch development organisation Hivos, launched the watchdog report Global Information Society Watch (GISW 2008) at the Third Internet Governance Forum in India. It is the second edition of this landmark report and focused on “access to infrastructure”.

Click here to go to the GISW 2008 report.

One of the characteristics of the ‘Information Society” is the abundance of information. The key is finding ways to navigate, to sort the wheat from the chaff. And so it is with information about the Information Society. That is why the arrival of GIS Watch is so welcome. No other publication, to my knowledge, is dedicated to monitoring the ongoing evolution of the Information Society from the perspective of civil society, and particularly the growing movements for people’s empowerment rooted in the global South.

Marc Raboy – Beaverbrook Chair in Ethics, Media and Communications at McGill University (Canada)

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The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has posted a series of position papers and commentaries on equitable access to ICT infrastructure. The papers in this series formed part of a wider programme on equitable access including a workshop organised by APC; a joint APC-LIRNE-IDRC session for the 2007 Internet Governance Forum in Rio; and an online dialogue hosted by LIRNE and APC.

Click here to go to the APC Equitable Access resources page.

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The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has released a paper identifying and documenting the main areas of discussions and ‘recommendations’ that were generated under the access theme at the second Internet Governance Forum (IGF), held in Rio de Janeiro in November 2007. The paper summarises the discussions emanating from the thematic IGF workshops on Access, as well as the proceedings of the Access plenary session.

Click here to download the paper from the APC website.
Click here to go to the APC access news item.

Click here to go to the APC and WDR dialogue on Regulatory Frameworks for Improving Access.

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The first billion internet users were connected because of particular privileges of access to infrastructure, the ability to afford use, education and geography, amongst others. The next billions to be connected to information society networks won’t have the same economic and social privileges and will have different reasons for not already being connected. These reasons need to be identified, targeted and built into information society strategies, business plans and partnerships. In this spirit, the GAID Inaugural Meeting (4-5 February 2008) was an opportunity to discuss and prepare proposals for the II Ministerial Conference on the Information Society, taking place directly after the seminar, and hosted by the El Salvadorian government.

The seminar and network initiative is the joint effort of the UN’s Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Development Research Centre-Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (IDRC-ICA), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribean (ECLAC).

Go to the IDRC resource page for links to presentations, podcasts, bios and background documents for this event.

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What key actions could telecom and ICT regulators undertake to promote access to infrastructure at local, international and regional levels?

This dialogue is being undertaken in preparation for the “Regulatory Frameworks for Improving Access” workshop co-hosted by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and Learning Initiatives on Reforms for Network Economies (LIRNE.NET), and at this year’s Internet Governance Forum. The workshop will explore the key regulatory issues and imperatives in promoting equitable deployment and affordable access to internet (communications) infrastructure at local, national, regional and global levels.

Send dialogue comments for posting to
<dialogue [at] regulateonline.org>.

Click here to go to the Dialogue webpage to read comments. (more…)