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CCTP-732-01 What's Shaping the Wired World
Fall only
The Internet continues to evolve rapidly. How it evolves will affect the way individuals communicate and use information, which will profoundly change both business and society.
This course will examine how new technologies, government policies, standards decisions, business practices, and different world views are shaping how the Internet is being used in countries around the world. The course will begin with an examination how Internet policy, telecommunications policy, information policy, national security policy, copyright policy, trade policy, and other government policies can foster or hinder the development and use of Internet. It will also examine the impact of the Internet on business models and culture.
The class will discuss a number of case studies in which national governments, the European Union, and the United Nations have adopted policies or policy recommendations affecting the Internet. Among the case studies likely to be examined:
1) The OECD's Summit on the Future of the Internet Economy
2) The adoption of the IPv6 standard
3) The Digital Millennium Copyright Act
4) The EU’s Directive on Data Retention
5) The UN’s Internet Governance Forum
6) The evolution of ICANN
7) The development of Internationalized Domain Names
8) Allocation and regulation of wireless spectrum (esp. unlicensed spectrum)
9) Internet censorship in China
10) Development of authentication systems
11) Regulations regarding Net Neutrality and network management
12) The build-out of fiber backbones around and in Africa
13) Development of "cloud computing"
Professor Nelson was personally involved in debates about many of these issues during the years he spent working with Al Gore in the Senate and at the White House, while at the FCC, and as Director for Internet Technology and Strategy at IBM.
For each case study, teams of students will consider the different parties involved and their positions and examine how they pursued their objectives. Each team will provide the background that their fellow students need to better understand technology trends, the impact of policy on technology adoption, and how technology is shaped by (and shapes) society and culture—skills that will be valuable whether working in business, in government, or in research. No final paper will be required.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course syllabi
The following syllabi may help you learn more about this course (login required):
Fall '09:
Nelson, M
(file download)
Additional syllabi may be available in prior academic years.
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Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:
More information
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