[ncdnhc-discuss] ICANN Reform: Role of ITU

[Hill, Richard]

With reference to ITU, Marc Schneiders has written: "You do not let an organization in the hands of bicycle sellers set rules about the use of cars."
I'm not sure how to compare cars and bicycles with telecommunications.
But I do know that most of the physical infrastructre on which the Internet runs is built and operated on the basis of ITU-T Recommendations.  For example, most PKI infrastructures are based on X.509.  And the "local loop" that still provides most of the "last mile" connectivity for most people is based on ITU-T Recommendations.  Etc.
In terms of physical analogies, I suppose that it might be more appropriate to compare telecommunications with the road system.  If that analogy is valid, most of the "roads" are built and operated on the basis of ITU-T Recommendations.  "Cars" (packets) are build and operated on the basis of IETF RFCs.  "License plate numbers" for some types of traffic are coordinated by ITU-T (phone numbers), "license plate numbers" for other types of traffic are assigned by ICANN (IP addresses and domain names).
Best,
Richard

-----------------------------------------
Richard Hill
Counsellor, SG2
International Telecommunication Union
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
tel: +41 22 730 5887
FAX: +41 22 730 5853
Email: richard.hill at itu.int
Study Group 2 email: tsbsg2 at itu.int