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New security technologies are never neutral in their impact; it is known that they can alter power relations and economic dependencies among stakeholders. This article examines the attempt to introduce the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to the Internet to help improve routing security, and identifies incentives various actors have towards RPKI implementation. We argue that RPKI requires ISPs to achieve security at the expense of autonomy, requires all actors to tradeoff simplified global compatability and centralization of power, and affects the policies and business models of the Regional Internet Registries and their relationship to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. While the Internet remains a space where authority is highly distributed, elements of hierarchy do exist, especially around critical resource allocation, and it is likely that security and other concerns will lead to continuing efforts to leverage those hierarchies into more powerful governance arrangements. Key words: routing, internet addresses, security, RPKI, ICANN, Regional Internet Registries, ISPs., Routing and addressing are at the core of how the internet works. Every second, routing arrangements must be able to successfully move trillions of individual data packets from any originating [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infoecopol.2006.04.002 Byline: Milton L. Mueller (a), Yuri Park (b), Jongsu Lee (b), Tai-Yoo Kim (b) Keywords: Identifiers; Identification; Identity management systems; Authentication; Privacy; Data protection; Economies of scope; Network externalities; Switching costs; Conjoint analysis Abstract: This paper examines online identifiers from an economic perspective. It uses conjoint analysis survey techniques to develop empirical data on how users value the attributes of online identifiers. It is concerned in particular with three issues: (1) the degree to which identified subjects value increasing the scope of an identifier, i.e., the ability to use a single identifier to access services offered by several organizations; (2) the degree to which users' choice may be constrained by switching costs; and (3) the value individuals place on privacy and data security relative to other attributes such as cost or scope. The survey population was located in South Korea. The results indicate that e-mail addresses dominate the world of online identifiers for ordinary consumers; that consumers highly value increased scope (e.g., single sign-on capabilities) and the security of their private data; and that switching costs are high. Author Affiliation: (a) Syracuse University, School of Information Studies, 307 Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States (b) Techno-Economics and Policy Program, Seoul National University, South Korea Article History: Received 3 August 2005; Revised 13 April 2006; Accepted 13 April 2006

Users' valuation of online identifiers is analyzed using a conjoint analysis survey method in South Korea.

It is generally agreed by all that competition should be allowed in the business of domain name registrations that is dominated by Network Solutions Inc. It has taken four years to come up with a procedure to achieve this. A shared registration system was launched by the Commerce Dept and the Internet Corp for Assigned Names and Numbers in summer 1999. This system will enable new firms to compete with NSI as 'registrars' of names under the '.com' and '.org' domains., How will multiple registrars affect Internet users, and have we chosen the best competitive structure? In 1995, after years of handing them out for free, the National Science Foundation allowed [...]

China's recent double-digit economic growth has impressed the world, but its telecommunications sector has been growing faster than the economy as a whole, expanding at an annual rate of 30%-50% […]

Like many other countries, the United States is in the midst of redefining its universal service policy. Access to telecommunications no longer depends on connecting a copper wire line into the home. Rather, universal service depends on how people will access and use the infrastructure around them. The ability to access communications facilities requires an account relationship between the supplier and the user. Therefore, the account relationship, not the presence of a physical connection to the home, should be the focal point of a universal service policy. With the rise of electronic commerce, access hinges on account verification, credit authorizations, billings, and collection. Metaphorically, the symbol for the third generation of universal service is not the wire, but the card, be it the credit card, the debit card, or the SIM card.

Universal Service and the Telecommunications Act Despite losing most of the political, legal, and regulatory battles of the 1970s, AT&T managed to establish the idea that the 1934 Communications Act […]

New Zealand has moved toward reforming property rights concerning radio frequency bands, including spectrum tenders, though uncertainty and political pressures have hindered radical implementation of reforms. The reforms, carried out by the Ministry of Commerce, shed light on spectrum privatization as a concept. However, issues such the desirability of national or local management rights, and how competition can be encouraged with large bands, have yet to be addressed.

Enough credibility to regulate the root server databases of the most important communications medium of the 21st century? Organizations and rules aren't normally considered an "infrastructure." But global internetworking simply […]

The rise of Internet communications also means confrontation with the established politico-economic-telecom order. This special section focuses on the emergence of Internet infrastructures in the developing world. The imposing word […]

We in the Internet Governance Project were astounded to read in reason that ICANN has been "set free" from the U.S. government ("Internet Unleashed," January). Contrary to Katherine Mangu-Ward's article, […]

THE words 'democracy' and 'human rights' cannot be used to search the web in China. The big internet companies--Google and Yahoo--install filters that comply with Chinese censorship efforts. On 30 […]