Critical Internet Uncertainties

The report examines the 'Global Connectivity System' and the policy tensions surrounding the Internet's evolution. It highlights risks to sustainable development stemming from the potential loss of net neutrality, restrictive intellectual property rights, and the shift toward 'tethered' closed devices. It also analyzes infrastructure challenges, such as the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 and the lack of universal broadband in Africa. Governance concerns focus on the internationalization of ICANN and the sustainability of the IETF's volunteer-led model. Finally, it addresses the Internet's ecological footprint, specifically the high energy demands of data centers and the environmental costs of e-waste and mineral extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• The 'end-to-end principle' of the Internet allows users to innovate without permission from network owners, but this is threatened by ISPs attempting to implement tiered service models or 'walled gardens' that restrict content and applications.
• Current intellectual property rights (IPRs) regimes may hinder sustainable development by creating artificial scarcity of knowledge, which can obstruct innovation and the treatment of knowledge as a public good.
• There is a risk of a shift from 'generative' devices, which allow user tinkering and innovation, toward 'tethered, sterile appliances' that are closed and more easily controlled by manufacturers or governments.
• Broadband access in Africa is severely limited by infrastructure gaps and monopolies; while a cable exists on the west coast, eastern Africa remains largely dependent on expensive satellite connections due to stalled projects like the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System.
• The exhaustion of IPv4 addresses necessitates a transition to IPv6, but developing countries face risks of further marginalization if their ISPs lack the financial capacity to invest in the new protocol.
• ICANN faces pressure to internationalize its governance to reduce the influence of the U.S. government, though this is hindered by language barriers and a lack of capacity among smaller governments to participate in policy issues.
• The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is experiencing 'stress points' including declining meeting attendance, budget deficits, a lack of institutional memory, and opaque administrative responsibilities.
• The Internet's ecological footprint is growing rapidly, with data centers consuming energy comparable to aluminum smelters and the overall system being described as the fastest growing source of atmospheric CO2.
• Environmental regulations, such as the EU's RoHS Directive, have inadvertently increased the price of tin and tantalum, potentially fueling conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Illegal e-waste imports, particularly into China, create dangerous living and working conditions due to the presence of highly toxic chemicals in dismantling districts.

APA

Andjelkovic, M., Vetter, T., & Creech, H. (2008). Critical Internet Uncertainties. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/critical_internet.pdf

Chicago

Andjelkovic, Maja, Tony Vetter, and Heather Creech. Critical Internet Uncertainties. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/critical_internet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Andjelkovic |first1=Maja |last2=Vetter |first2=Tony |last3=Creech |first3=Heather |title=Critical Internet Uncertainties |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/critical_internet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{andjelkovic2008critical, author = {Andjelkovic, Maja and Vetter, Tony and Creech, Heather}, title = {{Critical Internet Uncertainties}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/critical_internet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }