Global Information Summit 2001

February 5 - February 8, 2001

Net Conference Top Page

From: Don Heath 2/6/01 5:33

[17] A Case for Universal Access

Perhaps the subject should have read A "Touching" Case for Universal Access. The story told in this URL

http://www.icdri.org/no_disability_in_digitalized_com.htm is a fine case for universal access.

From: Marja Erola 2/6/01 10:32

[18] What is the future of communications?

It's both honour and pleasure to be invited to this interesting and challenging on-line workshop. My warmest thanks to Nikkei for the invitation, good luck to Katoh-san at his coordinating work. And nice to meet you, co-participants. We are surely living exciting times and our theme "Launching the Era of the Ubiquitous Networks - Constant Availability of Broadband networks" well refers to this global change.

1. I'm Ms Marja Erola, Business development manager at Tellabs Oy in Finland. Before joining Tellabs last August I worked several years for National Technology Agency Tekes, the main public agancy in Finland for financing and coordinating technological research and development.

Tellabs (Nasdaq company) designs, manufactures, markets and services optical networking, next-generation switching and broadband access solutions and provides professional services supporting its solutions. Tellabs' products and services are used worldwide by providers of communications services. Tellabs Oy, Tellabs' Finnish subsidiary, originated as a Finnish company, Martis Oy. Its flagship product, MartisDXXR, is one of the Tellabs success stories - and one of the Finnish ICT community success stories as well. The Tellabs MartisDXXR managed access and transport network system consists of fully integrated network hardware and powerful management software that combine to create a highly scalable access and transport network for voice and data services. The system provides intelligent transport for mobile services and multi-service platforms for a broad range of business services, including LAN interconnect, digital leased line, frame relay and PBX interconnection. We have cooperation partners like Nokia and Ericsson. - No matter how proud I'm of this company :-) I cannot start to explain you all of our products and activities, so please look at http://www.tellabs.com.

2. As my daily work is related to business development and strategies etc I'm interested in understanding e.g. what is the future of communications (broadband communications) in the world. That means the full entity of technology, business and regulation; drivers and dynamics of operators' and service &content providers' business. This business is becoming more and more global all the time, competition, licencing, building next generation networks and services for it...

3. Now at the beginning I thought to provide some useful links to you:

- European Commission communciations policy pages (the address was changed a couple of months ago):
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/infosoc/telecompolicy/
Last year in Europe, as a part of the New Regulatory Framework process, we got the Regulation on Unbundled Access to the Local Loop
http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/infosoc/telecompolicy/en/regullfin-en.pdf.
The regulatory process took only a few months (!) and it is now binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

- For those of you interested in wireless: The Economic Impact of Third-Generation Wireless Technology
http://www.whitehouse.gov/media/pdf/3G-white-paper.pdf(Case Finland is explained as an Annex!)

- An article worth of reading: GROWTH IN THE "NEW ECONOMY": U.S. BANDWIDTH USE AND PRICING ACROSS THE 1990S
http://www.tpeditor.com/contents/2000

- The OECD infomation society documents:
http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/

- From the big EU IST2000 conference in Nice, France: Future Technology Requirements in Broadband Access, presentation by Mr Heikki Hiltunen, Vice President and General Manager, Tellabs Oy and EMEA region
http://istevent.cec.eu.int/en/details.asp?session=27&lang=eng

In this discussion I won't present any official opinions or information of Tellabs.

From: Richard B. Dasher 2/6/01 10:32

[19] Killer applications

This is Richard Dasher; I am the Director of the US-Japan Technology Management Center and also the Executive Diraector of the Center for Integrated Systems, both in the Stanford University School of Engineering.

From previous messages, I get the distinct impression that technology development for ubiquitous networks is being hampered by practical problems of regulation, standards, and pricing. At the same time, I think that present technology has already advanced beyond our development of practical, compelling uses for it. In other words, we haven't yet found a "killer app" for the network we already have, much less a future, truly ubiquitous network.

Please note that NTT DoCoMo's i-Mode itself is *not* a killer application. It's a popular network access mechanism that--in my opinion--desperately needs to find some killer applications in order to continue to grow. Having benefitted from falling cellphone service prices and the Japanese market phenomenon of frequent consumer electronics replacement, i-Mode is currently subsisting on short messaging (because of a price advantage over voice telephony) and extensions of garden-variety web browsing. Of the various experiments with i-Mode, nothing else has really caught on in a really big way.

"Killer applications" must grow within the technology and business conditions that are already available. Many possible killer applications are waiting for reductions in network access costs, greater bandwidth, or the resolution of standards problems. Such applications won't spread until those changes happen. On the other hand, without a killer application within the current framework, those future changes might not happen at all.

What will be the killer application that pushes bandwidth, standards, and deregulation to the next level? Of course, if I knew that I'd be quietly investing my money instead of writing this message. But, it almost certainly will have to do with convenience, pricing, or entertainment (rather than some more noble-sounding pursuit, like on-line education),

due to intrinsic market size. And, it will probably be a new combination of technologies and ideas that we already have available. What *can* we do with i-Mode, and why aren't more really interesting things happening already?

From: Paul Timmers 2/6/01 21:55

[20] Ubiquitous networks - scenarios

My name is Paul Timmers, from the European Commission's Information Society Directorate-General, working closely with Rosalie Zobel, who has been invited to address the GIS 2001 conference.

I am involved in e-commerce policy and programme development, in particular looking at advanced 'e-economy' issues. We see lots of challenges arising from ubiquitous networking and computing, or as we call it, ambient intelligence.

Four ambient intelligence scenarios have been developed by a scientific advisory group to the European Union's R&D Programme for information society technology.

Their short paper, which you can find at ftp://ftp.cordis.lu/pub/ist/docs/istagfp6a.pdfmostly points to technology challenges. It also provides food for thought on economic and social issues as wel as business models/strategies.

Questions naturally arise about for example the 'privacy sphere', dependability, bundling/unbundling and business opportunities.

The work of the advisory group is an immediate input to the ongoing discussion about the future EU R&D programme in ICT.

From: JJ Disini 2/7/01 21:34

[21] Message from JJ Disini

I am JJ Disini, a lawyer in Manila, Philippines. I also teach Cyberspace Law at the University of the Philippines.

I am involved with the I.T. E-Commerce Council (ITECC), a joint Government and Private Sector group composed of business leaders and Cabinet members of various departments. I've been assisting the ITECC Legal Cluster as we help government agencies in the implementation of the E-Commerce Act which was passed last year.

From: David A. Olive 2/8/01 1:00

[22] 4 issues

I am David Olive, Deputy General Manager of the Fujitsu Limited 's Washington, D.C. Office. I advise Fujitsu on public policy issues concerning information technology, the Internet, electronic commerce, telecommunications, international trade, and science and technology. I also represent Fujitsu in various private sector associations, including the World Information Technology and Services Association (WITSA) where he is Chairman of the Public Policy Committee.

The World Information Technology and Services Alliance is a consortium of 41 information technology (IT) industry associations from economies around the world. WITSA is dedicated to advocating policies that advance the industry's growth and development; facilitating international trade and investment in IT products and services; strengthening WITSA's national industry associations through the sharing of knowledge, experience, and critical information; providing members with a vast network of contacts in nearly every geographic region of the world; and hosting the World Congress on IT, the only industry sponsored global IT event. For additional information about WITSA and its activities, go to www.witsa.org.

I followed the remarks of Marja Erola, Don Heath, Mr. Timmers, and Tony Rutkowski and thank them for links to some good reference materials. I appreciate the business issues raised by Mr. Hennes, Mr. Bartz and Dr. Dasher as well as the future challenges for mobile communications noted by Mr. Lloyd.

I am concerned about the direction of public policy and its intended or unintended effects on the development and deployment of new technologies and applications.

As Katoh-san noted, we are entering that next stage of Internet development, arising in an age when the Internet can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, and by everyone as a means to enhance work and everyday life and that we face the challenge of maintaining the Internet's expansion and achieving seamless, global, high-speed, efficient and economic access solutions."

The future challenges I see is to guide national and international policies in directions that facilitate the deployment and use of these technologies, rather than block or hinder them. The private sector must be involved and work with governments to find the best solutions Ebe it through self-regulation, use of technological, or use of existing rules and regulations.

While these public policy issues are not new to all of you working on Internet and E-Commerce, stalemate or bad policies on these issues will likely affect adversely the development and use of ubiquitous networks. I raise 4 issues:

Infrastructure

Will the Internet and alternate infrastructures like cellular and wireless render current telecommunications liberalization efforts useless? Should new technologies be regulated at all? And while many telecommunications players are still struggling to manage the transition from public monopolies to competitive frameworks, an increasingly fragmented and privatizing communications infrastructure may present significant challenges to the international coordination of global networks.

Information security

Problems caused by computer viruses, cases of distributed denial of service attacks on e-commerce sites in the United States and Europe, and alterations of government Web sites in Japan highlighted the need for more secure networks. Many in business and government have been talking about information security for many years. The emergence of ubiquitous networks and E-Business are driving businesses and governments to review laws and practices in the information security area and, in some cases, to propose new ones.

Are additional government rules and regulations for information security needed? Should government should move cautiously or aggressively in this area and involve the private sector? Is international cooperation in this area seen as a priority?

Privacy

As more people use networked connections, Internet service providers and others will have the ability to collect personally identifiable information on users. Although this data will be used to provide customized services to Internet users, it could also be used to track individuals and invade their privacy. ? Can a balance be achieved between self-regulatory approaches and government rules concerning online privacy protection? Are we moving toward an international consensus on how best to protect online privacy in the emergence of ubiquitous networks?

Digital Divide

The danger is a widening difference between countries taking advantage of these new technologies and others who are not. The use these technologies can reduce and eventually close the gap between the developed and developing worlds. A major challenge: how to make sure that all countries -- developed and less developed alike use and benefit from them? Within countries, how can we enable and encourage each individual to take advantage of these opportunities?

From: Moderator - Masanobu Katoh 2/8/01 1:39

[23] Summary of discussion

Mr. Rutkowski, thank you very much for kicking off the discussion by posting many interesting observations. We certainly agree that "There are certainly associated technology, administrative, and business issues. Depending on the context, there may be legal and governmental issues as well.[8]" Also I appreciate your specific references on topics such as privacy and security [13], and antitrust [15].

Mr. Lloyd, I am sure that many Japanese (and global) audiences like to know more about NTT DoCoMo [9]. Mr. Hennes, thank you very much for your 6 specific questions [10].

Mr. Heath, I understand that your point is mostly about the governance structure for the future network [11], and the allocation of addresses as an example [14].

Mr. Bartz, I am also very much interested in ".jp domain names' which was very restrictive, but now about to change later this month [17].

Dr. Erola, thank you very much for information for various sites in Europe. They are very informative [18]. And Dr. Dasher, I like your point of "killer applications that push bandwidth, standards, and deregulation," and your conclusion that "NTT DoCoMo's i-Mode itself is *not* a killer application" [21].

Mr. Timmer, thank you very much for the EU analysis on technology challenges [22]. And Mr. Disini, I hope that the E-Commerce Act you passed last year in Philippine is working well for "I LOVE YOU" mails [23].

Mr. Olive, all 4 areas you identified are very important and I am sure that this Nikkei Net Conference can be a year-round permanent discussion place [24].

I suggest all participants to bring in your issues, and to keep the scope of the discussion open. We are, in a sense, talking to general audiences through Nikkei publications, and therefore your personal messages on your individual interest are important. Of course, lively exchanges on somebody else's points are very much appreciated, too.

In a separate message, I will be providing our group with a summary of the Japanese discussions taking place.

From: Moderator - Masanobu Katoh 2/8/01 4:03

[24] Summary of Japanese Discussion - Ubiquitous Network

The Nikkei Conference staff prepared this English translation of the summary of the Japanese discussions. I am providing this for you just as a reference purpose only. We do not need to synchronize the two discussions. Nevertheless, I thought that these information are useful for us to understand the interest and focus of the counterpart of the discussions on similar issues. The Nikkei staff is going to give us similar updates periodically during the next one month.

Katoh

"Summary Of Japanese Discussion Of Ubiquitous Networks, Feb.1-5

Participants in the Global Information Summit 2001 began an online discussion in Japanese on Feb. 1 discussing the forum theme "Launching the Era of the Ubiquitous Network - Constant Availability of Broadband Networks."

The discussion, taking place ahead of the summit conference in Tokyo from March 8-9, involves some 160 people working in the IT-related field, seeking answers to critical issues that will impinge on many aspects of our lives.

Topics so far revolve around how the ubiquitous networks are changing the world, appropriate business models and rules and the roles of government and business.

Kiyoshi Nakano, visiting professor at Waseda University, hopes that future information environment will be ubiquitous in the sense that they serve as "life navigators" for the disabled in particular, lowering barriers to their full participation in life.

He proposes a cell phone capable of providing useful information to those with impaired vision, for example. Many contributors agree with his view.

In relation to the 3G mobile phone system, Sadahiko Kano, visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh advises Japanese industry to promote their ideas into the rest of the world by communicating through a universally accepted standard, not through the logic original to Japan.

Music and other intellectual property frames the discussion on business models and rules, with contributors suggesting the best avenues for profits are through user charges, flat-rate fees or alternative revenue sources like advertising.

Using the Napster issue as an example, artist Hideki Matsutake takes issue with the prevailing sentiment among consumers that "music is free."

In discussing written content, Isao Matsumoto, representative director of Hituzi Syobo Publishing Co., expresses concern that exceptions to the restricted use of copyrighted materials are spreading within educational institutions. Akio Sugii, a consultant and researcher, suggests that the age of the Internet is requiring an alternative way of thinking about intellectual property issues. He says collaboration between original artists and consumers is likely to generate a new culture of creation.

The issue of government and business roles was fueled by the provocative question, "Do you really want government to play a leadership role?" posed by Shin Yasunobe a former bureaucrat and director of the research unit at the Kyoto-based Stanford Japan Center.

In reply, Takechika Tsurutani, president of Future institute Corp., notes that former U.S. President Bill Clinton made a big splash by proclaiming, "The Internet is for every citizen."

For his part, Yasunobe deplores the fact that technology with potential tends to get nipped in the bud in Japan. Tsurutani concurred, saying, "While Japan's science and technology policy should aim for short-term returns on investment, it should also support free-thinking as a long-term hedge."

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For further information contact: The Global Information Summit Secretariat gis@nikkei.co.jp