How and why the US government gave up its control of ICANN, the global coordinator of internet names, numbers, and protocols—and what the geopolitical consequences were.In 1997 the United States decided that the Internet should be governed not by governments but by something called the “global Internet community.” In Declaring Independence in Cyberspace, Milton Mueller tells the story of why it took 20 years of organizational and geopolitical struggle to make that happen.ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), created in 1998, was the US government’s answer to the question of who would control the Internet registries—a key part of the Internet infrastructure supporting domain names, network numbers, IP addresses, and other protocol parameters. Originally, ICANN was a bold institutional innovation based on a vision of Internet governance that was thoroughly globalized and independent of nation-states. Declaring Independence in Cyberspace explains where this vision came from, the problems posed by its implementation, and the organization’s near-self destruction in its first five years.The US government refused to let go of ICANN for 15 years, triggering geopolitical conflicts over sovereignty and US power. Mueller details why, what prompted its change of heart, and how the problem of making ICANN accountable to its community in the absence of US government control sparked a political battle in Washington. His account gets to the very heart of a pressing question with profound global implications: Is state sovereignty the immutable foundation of global governance, or do new technological capabilities change the model?
Computerization has generated dramatic advances In telecommunications, such as mobile telephones and video conferencing. Coupled with this are major changes in regulation, as telephone companies face new competitors. States are experimenting with new forms of utility regulation and deregulation in order to cope with the demands of rising competition. Here Mueller examines in detail the results of a radical telephone regulation law.In 1986, the state of Nebraska completely discarded traditional utility regulation, deregulating rates and profits of its local telephone companies. The Nebraska experiment has become a benchmark for reassessing the role of state regulation In the future of telecommunications. Using comparative data from five midwestern states, Mueller shows how deregulation affected rates, investment, infrastructure modernization, and profits. He uncovers both positive and negative results. Mueller found established telephone companies to be basically conservative, not aggressive and expansionist, and concludes that new competition, not regulation or deregulation, is transforming the telecommunications industry.This book is the first systematic empirical study of the controversial Nebraska law and its broader effects. It will be a significant addition to the much debated issue of telecommunications deregulation. Economists, policymakers, and telecommunications managers will find in this volume a substantial resource. According to Robert Atkinson, senior vice president of Teleport Communications Group: "Nebraska''s experiences with telecommunications deregulation - the good, the bad and the ugly - need to be understood by all telecommunications policymakers across the country so that they can emulate Nebraska''s successes and avoid its mistakes. Mueller provides the roadmap."
Computerization has generated dramatic advances In telecommunications, such as mobile telephones and video conferencing. Coupled with this are major changes in regulation, as telephone companies face new competitors. States are experimenting with new forms of utility regulation and deregulation in order to cope with the demands of rising competition. Here Mueller examines in detail the results of a radical telephone regulation law.In 1986, the state of Nebraska completely discarded traditional utility regulation, deregulating rates and profits of its local telephone companies. The Nebraska experiment has become a benchmark for reassessing the role of state regulation In the future of telecommunications. Using comparative data from five midwestern states, Mueller shows how deregulation affected rates, investment, infrastructure modernization, and profits. He uncovers both positive and negative results. Mueller found established telephone companies to be basically conservative, not aggressive and expansionist, and concludes that new competition, not regulation or deregulation, is transforming the telecommunications industry.This book is the first systematic empirical study of the controversial Nebraska law and its broader effects. It will be a significant addition to the much debated issue of telecommunications deregulation. Economists, policymakers, and telecommunications managers will find in this volume a substantial resource. According to Robert Atkinson, senior vice president of Teleport Communications Group: "Nebraska''s experiences with telecommunications deregulation - the good, the bad and the ugly - need to be understood by all telecommunications policymakers across the country so that they can emulate Nebraska''s successes and avoid its mistakes. Mueller provides the roadmap."
Computerization has generated dramatic advances In telecommunications, such as mobile telephones and video conferencing. Coupled with this are major changes in regulation, as telephone companies face new competitors. States are experimenting with new forms of utility regulation and deregulation in order to cope with the demands of rising competition. Here Mueller examines in detail the results of a radical telephone regulation law.In 1986, the state of Nebraska completely discarded traditional utility regulation, deregulating rates and profits of its local telephone companies. The Nebraska experiment has become a benchmark for reassessing the role of state regulation In the future of telecommunications. Using comparative data from five midwestern states, Mueller shows how deregulation affected rates, investment, infrastructure modernization, and profits. He uncovers both positive and negative results. Mueller found established telephone companies to be basically conservative, not aggressive and expansionist, and concludes that new competition, not regulation or deregulation, is transforming the telecommunications industry.This book is the first systematic empirical study of the controversial Nebraska law and its broader effects. It will be a significant addition to the much debated issue of telecommunications deregulation. Economists, policymakers, and telecommunications managers will find in this volume a substantial resource. According to Robert Atkinson, senior vice president of Teleport Communications Group: "Nebraska's experiences with telecommunications deregulation - the good, the bad and the ugly - need to be understood by all telecommunications policymakers across the country so that they can emulate Nebraska's successes and avoid its mistakes. Mueller provides the roadmap."