US Ambassador: Internet Fee Proposal Gaining Momentum
U.S. Ambassador Terry Kramer warned on Friday that a proposal to give
a United Nations agency more control over the Internet is gaining
momentum in other countries.
Proposals to expand the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union's
(ITU) authority over the Internet could come up at a treaty conference
in Dubai in December. European telecommunications companies are pushing
a plan that would create new rules that would allow them to charge more
to carry international traffic.
The proposal by the European Telecommunications Network Operators'
Association could force websites like Google, Facebook and Netflix to
pay fees to network operators around the world.
Kramer said the idea of an international Internet fee is "gaining more
interest in the African states and also in the Arab states."
He said the United States delegation to the conference will have to
redouble its efforts to convince other countries that the proposal would
only stifle innovation and economic growth.
"We support efforts to grow broadband markets--not just divvying a
static pie of revenue between operators and governments," Kramer said in
a speech in Washington hosted by the Telecommunications Industry
Association.
Democrats and Republicans in the United States are united against
proposals to increase international control of the Internet. Congress
passed a non-binding resolution earlier this year urging the United
States delegation to "promote a global Internet free from government
control and preserve and advance the successful multistakeholder model
that governs the Internet today."
But Kramer warned that the United States is gaining a reputation of
stubbornly opposing any changes to the ITU treaty. He said the United
States will have to engage in negotiations with other countries to
address their concerns.
He acknowledged that many countries are struggling to secure their
networks from hackers and cybercriminals. He said the United States
opposes international cybersecurity regulation but supports efforts to
help poorer countries expand their ability to combat cyberthreats.
"The U.S. is open to dialogue in ways to make such cooperation more
comprehensive, building on work by existing institutions," he said.
Kramer explained that the United States will not have to sign on to any
treaty that it objects to, but he warned that if a majority of countries
at the Dubai conference adopt an overly regulatory treaty, it could
reshape the open, international nature of the Internet.
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