Tag: Internet governance

The internet was once envisioned as a borderless, open, and unified network connecting people, information, and innovation across the globe. However, in recent years, that vision has been increasingly threatened by what experts call “internet fragmentation”. William J Drake, one of the leading experts on the subject, joins us to discuss, among other things: how and why internet fragmentation came to the fore on the international agenda; how he would define ‘internet fragmentation’; whether there are any circumstances in which internet fragmentation can be a good thing; and why Caribbean countries and other developing regions should be concerned about internet fragmentation.

As the internet becomes more integral to economic development, cultural diplomacy, and public governance, there may be strategic value in having custom generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Active participants in the global Internet Governance space, Lance Hinds and Carlton Samuels, are back to discuss ICANN’s New gTLD Program: Next Round, which is currently open. The conversation covered, among other things: the difference between country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and gTLDs; the current state of use of ccTLDs in the Caribbean region; the New gTLD Program and the benefits that could be realised; and the challenges to Caribbean countries and organisations to apply for new custom gTLDs.