Status:
IGF Theme(s) for workshop:
- Emerging Issues
- Access and Diversity
Main theme question address by workshop: Emerging issues Q1, Access and Diversity Q2/Q4
Concise description of the proposed workshop:
This workshop will pull together a broad range of stakeholders to discuss various ways to measure the economic and social impact of the Internet with the goal of informing policy making.
The Internet began as an important tool for improving communication, but has transformed into a general purpose technology supporting all sectors across the economy in much of the same way as electricity, water and transportation networks. The universal, transformational character of the Internet means that it affects the everyday activities of individuals, companies and governments in numerous ways. In addition, the Internet tends to produce broad, economy-wide effects.
Policy makers are keenly aware of the Internet’s increasing economic importance but there is, as yet, no widely accepted methodology for assigning an economic or social value to the Internet economy. Understanding the economic and social impact of the Internet is vital because policy makers look to broadband and mobile data networks as platforms for innovation and development, while governments increasingly fund broadband rollouts, either through direct public investment or via the modification of universal service programs, to extend access and achieve these goals. Quantifying the benefits of an open, flourishing Internet can help convince governments of the need to extend access and protect its functioning.
This workshop will present various approaches to measuring the Internet economy, discuss recent findings and work on developing a list of potential ways to measure the impact of the Internet, particularly in the societal context. The discussion will benefit from input from a broad range of stakeholders. These outcomes can help shape future OECD data gathering and analysis.
Background Paper:
Name of the organiser(s) of the workshop and their affiliation to various stakeholder groups:
OECD will be responsible for the organization but will work closely with partners from industry, civil society and the Internet technical community.
Have you, or any of your co-organisers, organised an IGF workshop before?: Yes
Please provide link(s) to workshop(s) or report(s):
http://www.oecd.org/InternetGovernance
Provide the names and affiliations of the panellists you are planning to invite:
To be confirmed, but speaker groups will include:
• Government (OECD and non-OECD) with a focus on statistical specialists and policy makers
• Academics
• Civil society
• Internet technical experts
• Industry
• International organizations
Name of Remote Moderator(s):