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Whither the public Internet?

Author

Listed:
  • Lehr, William
  • Clark, David
  • Bauer, Steve
  • Berger, Arthur
  • Richter, Philipp

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of what should be meant by the phrase the Internet, or equivalently, the public Internet. Since its origins in the 1960s, the Internet has changed significantly in terms of the networks and technologies, services that are supported, and industry players who participate in the Internet ecosystem, growing in global economic and social importance. This paper discusses the changing role of the network operators and service providers that support the public Internet, and the relationship between what might be considered the public Internet and other elements of the global infrastructure. Herein, we explain why the quest for a single definition for the Internet is likely a fool's errand, while recognizing that there remains a need to understand what the concept means in light of its growing importance as a topic of policy concern. Instead of a definition, we propose a three-lens framework through which to evaluate technical and market trends that are changing the Internet and assist in determining whether those changes are or are not consistent with what we view as worth preserving in that which we refer to as the Internet.

Suggested Citation

  • Lehr, William & Clark, David & Bauer, Steve & Berger, Arthur & Richter, Philipp, 2018. "Whither the public Internet?," 29th European Regional ITS Conference, Trento 2018 184954, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:itse18:184954
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/184954/1/Lehr-et-al.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bresnahan, Timothy F. & Trajtenberg, M., 1995. "General purpose technologies 'Engines of growth'?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 83-108, January.
    2. Clarke, George R.G. & Qiang, Christine Zhenwei & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2015. "The Internet as a general-purpose technology: Firm-level evidence from around the world," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 24-27.
    3. Peyman FARATIN & David CLARK & Steven BAUER & William LEHR & Patrick GILMORE & Arthur BERGER, 2008. "The Growing Complexity of Internet Interconnection," Communications & Strategies, IDATE, Com&Strat dept., vol. 1(72), pages 51-72, 4th quart.
    4. Stocker, Volker & Smaragdakis, Georgios & Lehr, William & Bauer, Steven, 2017. "The growing complexity of content delivery networks: Challenges and implications for the Internet ecosystem," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1003-1016.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Vogelsang Ingo, 2018. "Net Neutrality Regulation: Much Ado about Nothing?," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(3), pages 225-243, September.
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    4. Queder, Fabian & Lehr, William & Haucap, Justus, 2020. "5G and Mobile Broadband Disruption," ITS Conference, Online Event 2020 224872, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    5. Lehr, William & Queder, Fabian & Haucap, Justus, 2021. "5G: A new future for Mobile Network Operators, or not?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).

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