Session
Organizer 1: B Wanner, U.S. Council for International Business
Organizer 2: Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Internet Society
Speaker 1: Kathryn Condello, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Toshiya Jitsuzumi, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: , ,
New Moderator: Chris Boyer, AT&T/. Will replace Rinalia Abul Rahim, Internet Society, who has a conflict.
Correction to Speaker Information: Kathryn Condello, Lumen. Since the workshop was initially submitted, Ms. Condello's company has changed its name from CenturyLink to Lumen. Her updated biography follows:
Kathryn Condello
Lumen
Senior Director, National Security / Emergency Preparedness
Roles:
Vice-Chair, Communications SCC
Past Chair, DHS NCC/Comms-ISAC
Kathryn Condello represents Lumen at the Federal level in all policy, planning and operational issues related to National Security, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response, Cybersecurity, Critical Infrastructure Protection, and Continuity of Operations.
Ms. Condello is an operations-focused leader within Lumen and the Communications Sector, with extensive, executive-level experience in managing and directing broad corporate and industry initiatives in the areas of strategic planning, policy development, government relations, network deployment/operations, and business marketing functions. Ms Condello has more than 20 years experience in industry level initiatives associated with national security, network reliability, and emergency preparedness programs, planning and policy initiatives.
She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia, an M.B.A. from Loyola College, served as a Principal Associate (Research Professor) with George Mason University’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Program, and is currently an Adjunct Professor with the University of New Hampshire M.S. program in Cybersecurity Policy and Risk Management. Ms Condello started her career in the public safety radio business, was one of the first commercial wireless pioneers, and gathered more than 20 years commercial wireless experience prior to joining Lumen.
Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
B Wanner, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
B Wanner, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Round Table - U-shape - 90 Min
The policy questions we will address fall primarily under the category --Security, stability and resilience of the Internet infrastructure, systems and devices -- addressing the need for best practices to ensure the soundness of connectivity and the communications backbone upon which the functioning of the Internet depends and in so doing, foster user trust. Policy Question(s): 1) How can best practices at the infrastructural level build user trust in the reliability and stability of Internet service, especially at a time of global crisis? 2) How can business and government work together to ensure sufficient bandwidth through each leg of the communications network; and (3) How can business and government expand connectivity to meet increasing levels of demand during a global crisis, especially to vulnerable populations.
The COVID-19 crisis put into stark relief the importance of developing a new framework that would safeguard user trust in the soundness of the communications network backbone and the reliability of Internet connectivity. Such challenges included: (1) ensuring sufficient bandwidth through each leg of the network; (2) maintaining the security and resiliency of these networks; (3) expanding connectivity to increase availability to meet demand, especially to vulnerable populations; and (4) establishing meaningful global communication channels. The workshop also will consider how ensuring the soundness of communications networks was essential for dissemination of information for the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 and e-education services. This represented stakeholder collaboration in action. Business, government, the technical community, multilateral organizations, and others needed to work together amid constantly changing conditions to address these challenges. This collaboration in and of itself was a critical learning experience that can inform and be leveraged for disaster response in the future.
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Description:
COVID-19 has driven increased global demand by citizens for a secure and reliable Internet. Governments, businesses, and consumers need reliable connectivity with sufficient bandwidth to support pandemic mitigation response plans as well as provide a credible source of information about the virus and foster a sense of community during especially challenging times. The challenges of dynamic and shifting patterns of global internet traffic made it necessary for governments and providers of communications infrastructure, systems, platforms, and devices to work together to address this global threat. This panel will explore the policy question of the appropriate role of government and the private sector to ensure reliable and secure connectivity for citizens during times of global crises and in so doing create a framework of trust. It will examine how business, government, and civil society found ways to leverage the evolution of large-scale response strategies to ensure the stability, resilience and ongoing security of these networks; how resources such as the ITU Global Network Resiliency Platform endeavored to assist governments and the private sector in achieving this goal; lessons learned through the COVID-19 event; and best practices for evolving this framework of trust to prepare for other large-scale response events. Agenda • Overview of the problems created by the crisis and the role of the Internet • Stakeholder collaboration on mitigation strategies • Evolving the Framework of Trust • Best Practices to inform future crisis response
This workshop will produce a set of Best Practices for businesses, governments, and civil society to employ in responding to large-scale crises that builds public trust in the stability, resilience, and security of internet and the communications networks upon which it relies.
a) The pre-IGF preparatory process will entail reaching out to and confirming the participation of remote discussants, particularly from emerging economies, who the Moderator will invite to offer comments or pose questions via the Remote Moderator following each agenda topic. In addition, the co-organizers will explore with Roundtable participants the potential for establishing remote participation hubs, particularly in emerging economies, delving into technical capabilities and needs that could be addressed by the business community. For the workshop itself, online participants will have a separate queue managed by the Online Moderator. Questions and comments will be rotated between the online queue and the in-person queue at the microphone. The Moderator will work closely with the Online Moderator during the pre-IGF preparations to establish effective means of communication between them to ensure the timely insertion of a remote question/comment. The Online Moderator will be strongly encouraged to participate in pre-IGF training provided by the IGF Secretariat as well as the preparatory teleconferences, the latter to thoroughly familiarize herself with the workshop substance. The Online Moderator also will be "backed up" by the workshop organizer, so that any unexpected technical problems or communication issues with the Moderator can be addressed expeditiously. The pre-IGF preparatory process also will entail (1) confirming on-site discussants, who will attend the workshop and be prepared to ask a relevant question as a means of "breaking the ice" and encouraging other audience questions; and (2) reaching out to and confirming the participation of online discussants, particularly from emerging economies, who the Moderator will invite to offer comments or pose questions via the Online Moderator.
Relevance to Internet Governance: The continued evolution and use of the Internet hinges on user trust in the infrastructure that enables the online ecosystem to function. This workshop relates to Internet governance by highlighting how multiple stakeholders shared a common view of the importance of ensuring a secure and reliable Internet to support mitigation and recovery from a global crisis and worked together to realize that.
Relevance to Theme: This workshop enables discussion of lessons learned and best practices developed for protecting and fortifying infrastructure and communication networks so that users and nations will trust that the Internet can be leveraged to reliably and securely mitigate a global crisis and be a trusted means to support work from home, distance learning, tele-health and to disseminate useful and relevant information. It will delve into the appropriate roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, but especially public-private cooperation in creating a framework for trust.
Usage of IGF Official Tool.
Agenda
- Overview of the problems created by the crisis and the role of the Internet
- Stakeholder collaboration on mitigation strategies
- Evolving the Framework of Trust
- Best Practices to inform future crisis response
Report
The COVID-19 crisis put into stark relief the importance of developing a new framework that would safeguard user trust in the soundness of the communications network backbone and the reliability of Internet connectivity. Such challenges included: (1) ensuring sufficient bandwidth through each leg of the network; (2) maintaining the security and resiliency of these networks; (3) expanding connectivity to increase availability to meet demand, especially to vulnerable populations; and (4) establishing meaningful global communication channels. The workshop addressed how ensuring the soundness of communications networks was essential for dissemination of information for the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19. This represented stakeholder collaboration in action.
- COVID-19 has driven increased global demand by citizens for a connectivity and services that require a secure and reliable Internet.
- Protecting and fortifying infrastructure and systems so that users and nations will trust that the Internet can be leveraged to reliably and securely mitigate a global crisis and be a trusted means to support work from home, distance learning, tele-health and to disseminate useful and relevant information.
- Business, government, the technical community, multilateral organizations, and others needed to work together through collaboration and cooperation amid constantly changing conditions to address the challenges presented by national crises, including COVID-19.
Kathryn Condello, Lumen, female
Toshiya Jitsuzumi, Professor in the Faculty of Policy Studies, Chuo University, male
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, female
Approximately 38 participants were women of the 81 who registered. The panel itself was gender balanced, with two out of three. The session did not directly address issues related to gender equality and/or women’s empowerment. However, it did recognize that the gender gap is a significant factor underlying the connectivity gap in Least Developed Countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Policy Recommendations of Suggestions for the Way Forward
- Digital transformation within the government sector is critical to ensuring citizen access to important information during times of crisis.
- Bridging the divide through expanded broadband connectivity is a prerequisite to fully leveraging the digital economy.
- Strengthening cybersecurity readiness for workforces that move to a work from home environment is critical to ensuring the security and resiliency of critical infrastructure and to supporting an ever-expanding digital economy.
- Disaster response strategies should ensure coordination and alignment across all levels of government – Federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners is important for developing a cohesive, meaning response to national disasters, even when infrastructure isn’t impacted such was the case with the COVID-19 crisis.
In addition to ITU, see Fall meeting of UN Broadband Commission -- https://broadbandcommission.org/events/Pages/AnnualMeeting2020.aspx
Speakers will submit their voluntary commitments to the IGF via the link provided.
Overall, they pledged to fostered greater collaboration between business and government in providing a secure, stable, and resilient global communications infrastructure aimed at deepening the trust of global citizens in their capacity to communicate and participate in the digital economy.,