Governance of the Internet's Infrastructure, Network Policy for The
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Be11 CL Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-1346 USA 80@521-0800 Craig McTaggart A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Laws Graduate Department of the Faculty of Law University of Toronto @ Copyright by Craig John McTaggart 1999 National Library BibliothMue nationale 1*1 ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et BibliographicServices servicesbibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Weningtm OttawaON K1AON4 OctawaON KlAON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde melicence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive pennettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or sell reproduire, peter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation, Governance of The Internet's Infrastructure: Network Policy for the Global Public Network Craig McTaggart 8.A. (lions.) (Queen's), LL.B. (Western Ontario), of the Ontario Bar Master of Laws Faculty of Law University of Toronto 1999 Abstract: The Internet's unprecedented characteristics are products of the unique compound of governance forces to which its underlying infrastructure is subject. This idkstructure presents issues significantly different to those relating to the content passing over it. in the evolution of the Internet into a global public communications network. its physical infrastructure and content layers have changed dramatically, while its technical infhstructure has not. Three scenarios for the continued evolution of the Internet suggest that the governance forces which support this infrastructure may no longer be capable of maintaining the Internet as an open public network. The Internet should continue to be governed in the public interest according to the principles of universal interoperability and interconnection, non-proprietary standards, protocols and networks, and unity. Trends in the Internet and experience in telecommunications suggest that hture governance structures will need to be globally authoritative in order to effectively protect and advance these fhdamental values. I would first like to thank Professor Hudson Janisch for his enthusiastic and dedicated supervision over the past year. His constant support and encouragement made the transition &om practice to academics most enjoyable. Professor Arnold Weinrib graciously served as second reader- I also wish to acknowledge the generous financial support of Rogers Communications Inc., as recipient of the E.S. Rogers Graduate Scholarship in Communications Law at the University of Toronto, and The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law and the Ontario Law Foundation, as recipient of their Graduate Fellowship. Graduate Secretary Julia Hall made the whole process run smoothly from start to finish and deserves gratitude for her caring shepherding of the LL-M. Class of '99. Finally, for the abiding love and support of Kim Rogers, Ph-D.. I am grateful and indebted, in more ways than one. Thank you for understanding (and tolerating) the demands of the practice and study of law. I1 . GOVERNANCE..................................................................... .............................. .....................................8 I11. GOVERNANCE OF THE LNTERNET'S INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................ 11 A . IDENTIFIERS AND ROUTING .................................................................................................................... 12 I IPNumbers ....................................................................................................................................... 12 2 Domain Names ................................................................................................................................. 13 3. Management of the Name and Number Spaces ........................................................................... 21 4 . Jon Postel and the internet Assigned Numbers Authority .............................................................. 23 5 The Inrernet Corporationfor Assigned Names and Numbers ........................................................... 25 B . PROT~COLSAND STANDARDS................................................................................................................ 33 I TCP/IP.............................................................................................................................................. 33 2. The Internet Engineering Task Force ............................................................................................... 37 C . PEERING AND INTERCONNEC~ON.......................................................................................................... 42 I . Internet "Backbones"....................................................................................................................... 42 2. Peering and Transiting..................................................................................................................... 43 D . TRADITIONAL GOVERNANCEFORCES .................................. .... ........................................................ 45 IV . THE GLOBAL PUBLIC NETWORK ................................................................................................... 50 A . THE INTERNET ........................................................................................................................................ 50 B . Is IT GLOBAL?....................................................................................................................................... 51 C . 1.5 IT A NETWORK?................................................................................................................................. 53 D . IS IT PUESLlC? ......................................................................................................................................... 57 I . Public and Private Networh ............................................................................................................ 57 2 . The Societyfor Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication ............................................. 59 3 . The Public Switched Telephone Network ......................................................................................... 61 4 The Internet ...................................................................................................................................... 70 E . THE GLOBALPUBLIC NWOR); ............................................................................................................ 82 V . PUBLIC GOVERNANCE ...................... ,.. ............................................................................................ 84 A . THE EVOLUTION OF THE ~JERNET'SGoVELNANCE STRUCTURES...................................................... 84 B . PUBLICVALUES ..................................................................................................................................... 88 C . DOES THE INTERNET NEED 'GOVERNANCE' AT ALL ? .......................................................................... 96 D . CONTENTvs . INWTRUCTURE ......................................................................................................... 101 E . IMPLICIT AND EXPLICITNORMS ....................................................................................................... 103 Vlt . THREE SCENARIOS FOR THE INTERNET'S FUTURE ........................ ... ............................... 108 GENERALTRMDS ................................................................................................................................ 108 OPENSCENARIO ..................................................................................................................................