Internet Governance

1. Internet Governance A New Zealand perspective

2. Introduction • New Zealand Internet governance. • The following case studies: • .nz ccTLD management • Telecommunications regulation • Digital Strategy • Anti-Spam • ENUM • Outreach • Conclusion

3. Where in the world is New Zealand?

4. 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…

5. 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.

6. 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.”

7. .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”.

8. The .nz Domain Name Space InternetNZ NZOC DNC Authorisation Agreement Service Level Agreement Authorised Registrars Registrant Agreement Registrants NZRS Connection Agreement

9. 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.

10. Telecoms Regulation • Telecom NZ privatised in 1990 • Now joined by TelstraClear and other, smaller telco providers • No specific sector regulation – ordinary competition law only until 2001 • 2001 Telecommunications Act still extremely light-handed by international standards • This follows the “hands off” approach already discussed. • InternetNZ, a civil society body, made high quality submissions on a review of the Act’s framework

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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”.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Outreach • Committed to open source solutions: • Released source code for Shared Registry System • Releasing source code for PUA for ENUM • Codes of Practice • ISP CoP consultation completed and will be launched in next quarter • Commencing Internet Café CoP consultation soon • InternetNZ will be hosting the ICANN meeting in Wellington, March 2006.

18. Outreach • InternetNZ is a provider of funding for many Internet related activities, including: • Seed funding for Interoperability testing laboratory • Seed funding for Next Generation Internet consortium • Secretariat to APTLD, APCAUCE and other Asia Pacific based organisations • Co-sponsor with NZ Government to recruit entries to the WSA web site awards for Tunisia

19. 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 fund • Recognises the place of NZ in the South Pacific

20. Pacific Island Outreach * Source – NZ Department of Statistics (Census 2001) ** Source – South Pacific Commission Demographic / Population programme (2001 Estimate)

21. 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.

22. Conclusion • A different example of a fully functional public private partnership. • Small, but perfectly formed. 

23. Thank you Keith Davidson Executive Director keith@internetnz.net.nz www.internetnz.net.nz