Status:
IGF Theme(s) for workshop:
- Managing Critical Internet Resources
- Access and Diversity
- Taking Stock and the Way Forward
Main theme question address by workshop: Emerging Issues: Question 3; Managing Critical Internet Resources Questions: Question 3; Managing Critical Internet Resources:Q5
Concise description of the proposed workshop:
Economists have been increasingly interested in recent years in “two-sided markets,” cases where some platform intermediates between the two sides of the market in order to ensure that there is sufficient subscription and use on both sides of the market. Free-to-air broadcast television is often given as one example, where the television network intermediates between advertisers and viewers; credit card systems are another, intermediating between merchants and consumers. The flow of payments in these two-sided markets can sometimes be quite different from those in conventional markets, as a means of achieving the levels of participation in the market. This workshop will consider:
• Should the Internet ecosystem be viewed as a form of two-sided market, with network operators / ISPs collectively intermediating between content providers and consumers?
• In what ways does the Internet differ from other two-sided platforms? In what ways is it similar?
• How might a change in the level of any of these payments alter levels of participation?
• What economic consequences might flow from changes in the level of payments and participation in the market? What social consequences might follow (for example, as regards innovation or free speech)?
A diverse international panel of stakeholders will consider these issues from a wide range of perspectives.
Background Paper: WIK_Proposal_20Apr2012.docx
Name of the organiser(s) of the workshop and their affiliation to various stakeholder groups:
J. Scott Marcus is a well known researcher on Internet issues. He is a Director of the Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommuniktionsdienste (WIK), a research institute owned by the German Ministry of Economics. He is the principal author of a study on these issues on behalf of Google. Former Senior Advisor on Internet Technology, US FCC; former CTO, GTE Internetworking (portions subsequently acquired by Verizon, Level 3).
Have you, or any of your co-organisers, organised an IGF workshop before?: No
Please provide link(s) to workshop(s) or report(s):
Provide the names and affiliations of the panellists you are planning to invite:
J. Scott Marcus, Director, WIK, a German research institute (Germany) (Moderator) (Confirmed)
Falk von Bornstädt, Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany)
Dr. Patrick Ryan, Policy Counsel, Open Internet, Google (USA) (confirmed)
(Name TBC), GLOCOM, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan (Asia Pacific, Civil Society) (confirmed)
Jacquelyn Ruff or Theresa Swinehart, Verizon (USA)
Jillian York or Kurt Opsahl, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) (USA, Civil Society)
Alan Davidson, Facebook (USA)
Malcolm Jeremy, Consumers International (Malaysia, Civil Society)
Name of Remote Moderator(s):