Knowledge Repository on Internet and Society

Presentations from the Internet Institute held from June 8 - 14, 2013

Day 1

History of the Internet in India - Pranesh Prakash & Bernadette Längle
Domestic Bodies and Mechanisms - Pranesh Prakash
Emerging Trends in Internet Usage in India - Mr. Vir Kamal Chopra & Ms. Nandini.C

Day 2

How Internet Works - Dr. Nadeem Akhtar
Wireless Technologies - Michael Ginguld
Building Knowledge Bases and Platforms via Mass Collaborations on the Internet - Vishnu Vardhan. T
Affordable Devices and Internet Access in India - Ravikiran Annaswamy 1,2

Day 3

Wired Technologies - Dr. Nadeem Akhtar

Day 4

Universal Access - Ms. Archana Gulati
Free and Open Internet - Pranesh Prakash
Openness - Pranesh Prakash & Sunil Abraham
Open Content - Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam
Copyright Law and Access - Pranesh Prakash

Day 5

Privacy on the Internet in India - Elonnai Hickok & Sunil Abraham
e-Accessibility - Dr. Nirmita Narasimhan
International Bodies and Mechanisms - Tulika Pandey & Gaurab Raj Upadhaya
e-Governance - Sunil Abraham & Tulika Pandey

Day 6

Critical Perspectives of the Internet - Dr. Nishant Shah
Strategies for Policy Intervention - Chaksu Roy
Profile of Internet Service Providers - Satyen Gupta
Competition in the Market - Helani Galpaya

Day 7

Leveraging Internet for Activism - Ananth Guruswamy
"Internet Access" Activism - Parminder Jeet Singh
Ensuring Access to the Internet - A.K Bhargava

Modules

This module will cover brief history of the Internet, its early stages and growth. It will also cover origins of internet in India and its impact on the Indian GDP. It will also focus on hot topics/debates surrounding the Internet.

1.1 Global History of the Internet

• 1.1.1 Early Stages and Growth (one page bibliography with annotations)

• 1.1.2 Current Issues and Debates

1.2 History of Internet in India

This module will cover various principles that underpinned the creation of the Internet, the threats they face and the need for a truly "open internet".

2.1 Accessibility

• 2.1.1 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• 2.1.2 Accessible formats

2.2 'Access' across Various Demographics

• 2.2.1. Persons with Disabilities

• 2.2.2. Access in Rural and Remote Areas

• 2.2.3. Digital Divide

2.3 Access to Knowledge

• 2.3.1. Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright Law in India

• 2.3.2. International Treaties

2.4 Affordability

• 2.4.1. Affordable Devices (pervasive technologies)

• 2.4.2. Policies regarding indigenous R&D and manufacture of devices

2.5 Quality of Access

2.6 Openness

• 2.6.1. Open Government Data

• 2.6.2. Open Access

• 2.6.3. Open Standards

2.7 Freedom of Speech

• 2.7.1. Reasonable Restrictions on Free Speech

• 2.7.2. Censorship on the Internet

2.8 Privacy

• 2.8.1. Basic Principles Related to Privacy

• 2.8.2. Data Security

Description of the internet infrastructure, purpose and function of an ISP, advantages and disadvantages of different modes of Internet access

3.1 Getting Connected to the Internet

• 3.1.1. Internet Infrastructure (Backbone, Network Access Points, Points of Presence, Internet Servers, Remote Access Servers and End User Devices and Tools)

• 3.1.2. Internet Service Providers (Role and Function)

• 3.1.3. Network Connections and Modes of Access (Leased Circuits and Dial Up Access, Broadband Internet Access (Cable Modem Technologies and DSL Technologies), Wireless Internet Access)
• 3.1.4 Internet Protocols (Internet Protocol, Packet Switching, Routing, Transmission Control Protocol, IP Addressed, Naming a computer, Domain Name and Domain Name Systems)

• 3.2.1. Introduction to the World Wide Web (Web Browsers, URLs, Search Engines, E-transactions, Advertising, Blocking Offensive Content)

• 3.2.2. Security and Privacy Issues (Cookies, Firewalls, Browser Cache and History)

3.3 E-mail

• 3.3.1. How it Works? (SMTP, POP, IMAP, Spam and Phishing)

3.4 Communication on the Internet

• 3.4.1. Audio and Video on Internet, Webcast & Podcast, Phone and Fax on Internet, Skype and other chat tools, eLearning, Social Networks, e-Government, Wikipedia

3.5 Security Issues on the Internet

• 3.5.1. Viruses, Firewalls and Password Security

• 3.5.2. Hacking, DDOS

4.1 International Institutions

• 4.1.1 ITU sectors ITU-R, ITU-T, ITU-D and ITU Telecom
• 4.1.2 ICANN (including bodies such as IANA)
• 4.1.3 WIPO (special emphasis on WIPO Internet Treaties)
• 4.1.4 IETF (special emphasis on IESG and other bodies under IETF and open standards)
• 4.1.5 W3C

4.2 Mechanism and Multi-stakeholder Forums

• 4.2.1 IGF
• 4.2.2 WSIS
• 4.2.3 WCIT
• 4.2.4 IIGC (India)

4.3 Government and Regulatory Bodies in India

• 4.3.1 Ministry of Human Resource Development (Special emphasis on Copyright)
• 4.3.2 Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
• 4.3.3 Department of Electronics and Information Technology
• 4.3.4 Department of Telecommunication (Powers and Functions)
• 4.3.5 Telecom Commission
• 4.3.6 TRAI (Powers and Functions including TRAI Recommendations and Consultations)
• 4.3.7 TDSAT (Including important decisions)
• 4.3.8 Wireless Planning and Co-ordination Wing
• 4.3.9 USOF
• 4.3.10 Government Internet Service Providers (BSNL and MTNL)

This module will cover various policies and regulation in force and their evolution and objective along with different mechanism set under such law. It will also cover policies regarding universal access in India as well as internationally.

5.1 Policies

• 5.1.1 National Telecom Policy, 1994
• 5.1.2 New Telecom Policy, 1999
• 5.1.3 National Broadband Policy, 2004
• 5.1.4 National Broadband Plan, 2010
• 5.1.5 National Telecom Policy, 2012
• 5.1.6 National Frequency Allocation Plan (special reference to allocation spectrum for broadband access)

• 5.2.1. Information Technology Act, 2000

• 5.2.2. Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (special reference to provision on interception and privacy and Indian Telegraph Rule)

• 5.2.3. Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933
• 5.2.4 Other relevant legislations (Consumer Protection Act, Right to Privacy Bill, Copyright Act, 1957 and Electronic Service Delivery Bill

• 5.3.1. Information Technology Rules (Content Regulation, intermediary liability, etc.)

• 5.3.2. TRAI Tariff Orders

• 5.3.3. TRAI Regulations and Directions

• 5.3.4. DoT Guidelines (Guideline on Issuing of ISP license)

• 5.4.1. Background of the Universal Service Regulations
• 5.4.2 Universal Service Obligation Fund
• 5.4.3 Need for rural and remote access
• 5.4.4 Large demographic group – persons with disabilities, elderly persons and illiterate persons
• 5.4.5 Legal Imperative: Equality and Non-discrimination
• 5.4.6 Rural Market Opportunity

This module will cover the changes in the licensing regimes in India and its effect on allocation of spectrum. It will deal with various debates in the field of broadband wireless access.

6.1 Licensing Framework for the Telecommunication Services – A Historical Overview

6.2 Spectrum Management (with reference to bandwidth allocation for broadband and mobile data services)

• 6.2.1 The Initial Process of Selection of Operators for Allocation of Spectrum
• 6.2.2 Selection of Band and Criterion for Further Allocation of Spectrum
• 6.2.3 Time taken to Allocate Spectrum
• 6.2.4 Interference Issues
• 6.2.5 Spectrum Refarming and Reallocation

This module will cover the broadband market and the wire and wireless internet access market.

• 7.1 Investment and Ownership in Telecom
• 7.2 Competition in the Market (Wire Access and Wireless Access)
• 7.3 Revenue Generation in the Market