[AfrICANN-discuss] 'The Future of Internet is African' dixit Goran Marby

Tue Feb 7 13:05:30 UTC 2017

Hello Pierre.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Truly the future of the World is African.
Warm regards
-Olévié-
Le 7 févr. 2017 12:42, "Dandjinou Pierre" <pdandjinou at gmail.com> a écrit :

> Dear All,
>
>
>
> Please find below an interview by Goran Marby, during his first trip in
> Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia) two weeks ago, as President & CEO of ICANN !
>
>
> Pierre
>
>
> http://media.reelforge.com/player/index.php?storyid=32368819
> 6&encryptid=f2twbs517jn3vzhmk8cxp69yr400dq
>
>
>
> And the print edition is below:
>
> https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001228504/
> the-future-of-internet-is-african
>
>
>
> *‘The future of Internet is African’ By Frankline Sunday | Updated Tue,
> February 7th 2017*
>
>
>
> Depending on whom you ask, the future of the Internet is one of three
> things. It is either a dystopia ruled by corporate giants, a utopia where
> artificial intelligence has solved the majority of humanity’s challenges,
> or a mix of the two. As it is today, computing and networking technologies
> are evolving at a pace that has left Internet users trapped in a
> near-infinite cycle of adoption. And this is expected to accelerate in the
> future. According to Göran Marby, the head of the Internet Corporation for
> Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), while it is impossible to predict the
> future of the Internet, sub-Saharan Africa will play a large part in
> bringing it all together. ICANN co-ordinates the Internet’s naming system.
> “The fascinating thing about the Internet – which also makes me somewhat
> nervous – is that you never know what is coming next,” he said in an
> exclusive interview with Business Beat during his first visit to Kenya.
>
>
>
> Grossly misunderstood Indeed, in a best-selling book 10 years
> ago, renowned computer scientist Ray Kurzweil noted that human beings have
> grossly misunderstood the pace of technological advancement owing to a
> relatively short-sighted perception of the past and present. “An analysis
> of the history of technology shows that technological change is
> exponential, contrary to the common-sense ‘intuitive linear’ view. So we
> won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century – it will be
> more like 20,000 years of progress,” he wrote. The result, as described by
> Mr Kurzweil, sounds like something of a science fiction film – machine
> intelligence will surpass human intelligence in the next few decades. This
> will lead to ‘The Singularity’ – technological change so rapid and profound
> it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. “The implications
> include the merger of biological and non-biological intelligence, immortal
> software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand
> outward in the universe at the speed of light,” he wrote.
>
>
>
> In the decade since Kurzweil published his mind-boggling book,
> advancements in mobile, wearable devices, autonomous cars and home
> appliances have progressed exponentially.
>
>
>
> Technology researchers believe that after the first three digital
> revolutions – broadband, mobile connectivity and social networking – the
> Internet of Things comes fourth, significantly changing the way human
> beings interact with themselves and their devices. Mr Marby, 53, has worked
> in the telecommunications sector for more than two decades, and was the
> director general at Sweden’s regulatory body, Swedish Post and Telecom
> Authority (PTS), prior to his appointment at ICANN last March. He is
> confident that the future of the Internet relies largely on how communities
> innovate and apply the resource’s functionalities. “No one has been on the
> Internet for a long time, and the Internet today is not what it used to be
> five or so years ago and will not be the same in the next five years,” he
> said. “Getting people online changes everything and levels the playing
> field. There could be someone in a garage in Nairobi right now who will be
> the one to reveal the next big solution.” Equal opportunities This is
> possible because of net neutrality – the Internet-governing principle that
> allows equal access to anybody, anywhere. This means, for example, that if
> two people from opposite ends of the earth log onto the same webpage, the
> flow of data packets from their two devices is treated equally.
>
>
>
> This is important because it allows equal opportunities to software and
> hardware developers from all over the world to innovate. It is, therefore,
> crucial for sub-Saharan African governments and ICT regulators to
> participate in global discussions on issues like net neutrality and digital
> security for the benefit of the more than one billion potential users in
> the region. “Africa’s engagement will help to form the new Internet,” said
> Marby. “Participating in the developing of the Internet through the
> different forums will allow the region to ensure that it also caters to
> specific regional needs.” In the recent past, however, this has also seen
> governments and regulators in sub-Saharan Africa resort to heavy-handed
> techniques in a bid to control Internet access, fearing its use to fan
> discontent among netizens. Mass Internet shutdowns have become more
> frequent, with the governments of Gambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda and
> most recently Cameroon conducting large-scale shutdowns in the last year.
> However, a study by the Brookings Institute found that 81 short-term
> Internet shutdowns in 19 countries in 2015 cost them $2.4 billion (Sh249.4
> billion). Some of the countries that suffered huge losses include India,
> Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Iraq, with the losses expected to be higher since
> tax losses and loss of investment had been excluded.
>
>
>
> Marby added that while the Internet is a global resource, the business
> application of it is still local in nature, which will require governments
> to develop legislation that is specific to the needs of local stakeholders.
> “Many of these discussions are local, as it should be because it is the
> government and regulators that set the laws within a specific
> jurisdiction,” he said. “The Internet is global, but the localisation of
> data is essential in bringing about an investment opportunity. Think local
> grocery stores, local municipalities, local news.” Marby noted that another
> advantage working for the region is the adoption of mobile, where
> sub-Saharan Africa leads other regions in the world, providing a large pool
> of users to drive uptake. “The Internet is like love. If you share
> information, you increase the value of information, just like it is with
> love.” fsunday at standardmedia.co.ke
>
>
>
>
> --
> Pierre Dandjinou
> Cotonou - 229 90 087784 / 66566610
> Dakar 221 77 639 30 41
> www.scg.bj
> skype : sagbo1953
>
>
>
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