Will there, realistically, be 100 Million left over after litigation? -- Cheers, McTim "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 5:24 PM, klaus.stoll <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Dear Friends > Greetings. An interesting proposal that will realistically have to > overcome maybe more obstacles then the implementation of the new gTLD’s > itself. Obstacles are there to be overcome, it all depends on the will to > overcome them!!! The article makes a good point, maybe a point that many > will support, but how can this theory be translated into organized > political will and pressure which make that what has been asked for a > reality?. The authors have bravely outet themselves as old ICANN hands, so > they will be the first to recognize the real problem now. ICANN is good in > talking, but here the question is, what is after the talk, what is the next > step?. Maybe an organized multi-sector coalition and pressure group of the > willing? > Yours > Klaus > > *From:* Alex Gakuru <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Wednesday, November 28, 2012 10:24 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: The 100 million raised from sale of web domains should be > used to wire africa > > Thanks Robin, > > Gakuru @M-Pesa land:-) > > On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 12:16 AM, Robin Gross <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Interesting proposal.... >> >> * >> http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/11/icann_s_gtld_auction_proceeds_should_be_used_to_bring_mesh_technologies.html >> *<http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/11/icann_s_gtld_auction_proceeds_should_be_used_to_bring_mesh_technologies.html> >> >> ICANN Make a Difference >> The 100 million raised from sale of web domains should be used to wire >> africa >> by Sascha Meinrath & Elliot Noss >> >> The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is little known, >> but it wields a tremendous amount of power: It controls all of the Web’s >> top-level domains (those letters after the “dot,” like .com and .org). >> Currently, ICANN is in the midst of creating hundreds (and possibly >> thousands) of new, generic top-level domains (gTLDs) that span a host of >> different ideas, from .web to .cars to .anything_else_you_can_imagine. >> These new gTLDs have the potential to dramatically affect the future of >> Internet browsing, and they’re already stirring up some serious discussion. >> (Saudi A rabia, for one, doesn’t want .gay, .bible, or other dozens of >> other proposed domains to be approved.) But the auction process to >> distribute them also has the potential for even greater impact than >> currently envisioned. >> >> ICANN’s new generic top-level domain process has been dragging on for >> years—basically since the organization’s inception in 1998. But this year, >> it is finally coming to fruition, and as early as April 2013 we are likely >> to see the first group of new gTLDS—in essence, ICANN will empower specific >> legal entities to control how to use and sell these domain names. This >> process means significant amounts of money may start rolling in soon: It >> already costs $185,000 to apply for a gTLD, but when there are multiple >> bidders for the same string—like .web or .app—they will be put up for >> auction. >> >> For instance, the .web gTLD is widely desired by a number of different >> organizations, as it is the most likely contender to possibly challenge the >> king of all gTLDs: .com. There are currently eight applicants for .web, >> including Google, German Internet giant 1&1, and incumbent registry >> operator Afilias (which manages .org and .info) among other bidders. We >> expect that the bidding for .web alone is likely to be in excess of $5 >> million and could potentially reach $10 million or more. For the .app gTLD, >> there are 11 applicants—and we may see a titanic bidding war between Google >> and Amazon. There are hundreds more contended strings that are likely to go >> to auction and raise tens of millions of additional dollars—even $100 >> million isn’t out of the question. >> Advertisement >> >> All told, there are more than 1,900 applications for roughly 1,000 unique >> strings in this first wave. The $185,000 application fee is intended to >> fund the ICANN process, but the proceeds from contention auctions are >> considered “excess funds” that are not already earmarked to cover costs. >> The challenge will be to use these proceeds in a way that best benefits the >> public interest and the global Internet. In talking with key stakeholders >> over the last couple of years, everyone agrees that allocating these funds >> will be a challenge and likely to be fraught with politics. >> >> We've been involved in the ICANN process since its inception, and believe >> that these proceeds can and should be used to do something game-changing >> and truly visionary: build and maintain free wireless Internet >> infrastructure for huge swaths of the continent of Africa or an equally >> disconnected, high-poverty area of the planet. This is an audacious idea >> that many might originally dismiss as impractical—but that's because their >> thinking is stuck inside the box. We know that it can be done—and how. >> Providing free wireless Internet infrastructure for the continent of Africa >> would be a dream come true—the kind of outcome that would help bridge the >> digital divide and garner huge socioeconomic benefits for decades to come. >> >> But would $100 million actually be enough to build useful, sustainable >> infrastructure? It would, if its creators use many of the newer “mesh” >> technologies that are now coming online. African's Internet penetration >> currently hovers around 15 percent—less than half the world average. And >> roughly half of African countries have single-digit broadband penetration >> rates. The digital divide looms large, in no small part because many >> Africans simply cannot afford current broadband prices. >> >> To help solve this problem, we can use what are called mesh technologies, >> which are significantly cheaper than the systems we use in the developed >> world. More importantly, they can easily interconnect and extend existing >> infrastructure in remarkably cost-effective ways. Instead of connecting >> people through a central hub or tower, mesh architectures resemble more of >> a spider web, in which data can flow through a large number of routes to >> reach their destination. Because there's no single point of failure within >> a mesh network and because of the redundancy of pathways within these >> systems, they're often more resilient—harder for human intervention or >> natural disaster to take down as well as more difficult to surveille and >> censor. >> >> Projects like CommotionWireless.net and OpenGarden.net have developed >> game-changing technologies that allow existing cellphones to connect with >> each other directly, for free. They can also share bandwidth from one >> cellphone throughout an entire network of devices, allowing people who >> don't have Internet connectivity to browse the Web or send email via >> someone else's connection. Now what's needed is a bold, widespread >> implementation of these technologies. There's no reason Africa shouldn’t >> take advantage of new technologies and new business models to provide a >> modest amount of connectivity each month for anyone who wants it. >> >> In essence, what we're proposing is the widespread unlocking of existing >> technologies, the creation of hybrid networks that take advantage of recent >> advances in ad-hoc wireless networking, and the digital enfranchisement of >> the billions of people who cannot afford to participate in current business >> models. Providing basic connectivity is not expensive—more importantly, >> unlocking devices and allowing peer-to-peer connectivity costs absolutely >> nothing. >> >> A $100 million intervention would enable a wide-ranging proof-of-concept >> of today's cutting-edge mesh wireless technologies. It would demonstrate >> the viability of new hybrid networking architectures that opportunistically >> used for-fee services when necessary and offload to free alternatives >> whenever possible. It would enable us to try out numerous innovative >> business models. And most importantly, it would point the way >> forward—helping solve the problem of how to grant access to the Internet's >> vast resources to the substantial majority of humanity who are not >> meaningfully online. >> >> With the gTLD auctions now pending, ICANN has a once-in-a-generation >> opportunity to change the digital destinies of billions of people. With >> ICANN's help, we can realize a world where Africa rivals any country on the >> planet when it comes to online connectivity. And where African citizens can >> take it for granted that meaningful (online) civic participation is >> universally available. We've already seen how even modest resources like >> the mobile micropayment system M-Pesa have helped spur a new generation of >> entrepreneurship—imagine what's possible when free connectivity is >> available to all. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> IP JUSTICE >> Robin Gross, Executive Director >> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA >> p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451 >> w: http://www.ipjustice.org e: [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> > >