Context
The Internet has provided access to half of the world’s population since its inception more than 50 years ago, with new people joining the global Internet daily. It continues to evolve with new services, applications and protocols being developed and deployed in many areas. These improvements to the Internet are involved many actors including content suppliers, Internet Service Providers, browser developers, equipment manufacturers, researchers, users, and others.
Background
The International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) received a proposal two years ago to begin work on designing a “new information and communications network with new protocol system” to meet the needs of a future network – the “New IP, Shaping Future Network” proposal. The proposal’s proponents made various claims about the issues that the current network faces as a basis for developing a new design. Among them were the need to enable heterogeneous networks and “more types of devices into the future network; the need to support Deterministic Forwarding globally; the need to enhance security and trust and support “Intrinsic Security,” and so on. The New IP ideas addressed several issues, many of which have been widely researched in the technical and standards communities for decades and for which solutions already exist. Others deal with areas that are already the subject of current standardization or study. In addition, some of these ideas were reflected in earlier work of the ITU-T SG13 Focus Group on Future Networks 2030.
In December 2020, New IP was not approved as new work items for the next study period of ITU-T; and as a result, no further discussion on the proposals would take place until the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly in March 1-9, 2022. Since December, however, elements of the New IP proposal were presented at the March 2021 meeting of ITU-T SG13 which is why it is relevant to continue to discuss the proposal.
Expectations
As stakeholders prepare for the WTSA-20 in March 2022, where this topic may come up for debate, it’s vital to have a thorough understanding. Important questions for the New IP design system should be answered from an African perspective, such as what the investment and implementation costs are, compatibility/interoperability with existing IP-enabled technologies, and so on. Participants attending the webinar should be able to understand the main components in the New IP proposal and, discuss and exchange their perspectives on what a replacement of the new design system would imply for networks in their countries.
The target audience are African Internet Technologists, relevant policymakers and civil society working around Internet technology.
Agenda
- Presentation on New IP Proposal – Hosein Badran, Director, Internet Growth and Trust, Internet Society
- Panel Discussion: Impact of New IP on African Networks
Moderator – Olaf Kolkman, Principal, Internet Technology, Policy and Advocacy, Internet Society- Abdulkarim Oloyede, Technical Advisory Committee for Nigeria to the ITU
- Alain Durand, Principal Engineer, ICANN
- Chris Buckridge, Advisor to Managing Director, RIPE NCC
