Internet should be open to all, says Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Terming India as an important player in Internet governance, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the future architecture of the Web should not be a prerogative of a few and should be open to all. “India is an important player on international stage of Internet governance. I am happy that USA has decided that the entire oversight mechanism must end by September 2015 or year end,” Prasad said during an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers event here. A non-profit organisation, ICANN is responsible for technical maintenance work of central Internet address pools. Last year in March, the US government had announced that it was ready to transfer its stewardship of the important Internet technical functions to the global Internet community. ICANN’s contract with the US Government expires in September this year. It is currently working on the transition proposal and has welcomed comments of governments, private sector, civil society, and other Internet organisations from over the world on the future architecture of Internet. “What shall be the future architecture, we are discussing, we are debating, lot of inputs are coming. Since it is in a stage of evolution, I have to await my final call on it,” Prasad said. He added that Internet must be equitable, effective, open for all and no one should be able to claim early arrival benefit. “Internet is one of the finest creations of human mind. It can’t become a prerogative of few. Internet has to connect with local to become global,” he said. ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade said India is central to what the Internet is at the global level. “I know everyone speaks about Digital India, but digital world without Digital India simply loses its digital way. India is not simply getting into the digital world, India is already an incumbent, a driver in the Digital world in every sense of the word,” he said. He said he came to India in October 2013, but since then India’s place at the global level has taken a new energy that is remarkable. PTI