APNIC, in collaboration with LACNIC (RIR for the Latin American and Caribbean region), are seeking proposals from external consultants to study the Internet’s Technical Success Factors.
In order to be effective, an assessment of the Internet’s technical features must be objective. Both critiques and praises of the Internet by users, vendors, standards bodies, governments, and others have often been idealistic and have helped to justify alternative proposals for new protocols and networking standards.
The study
Specifically, the study should accomplish the following:
- Describe the actual state of the Internet according to its technical implementation in different geographies and socioeconomic contexts
- Identify the key technical factors that have contributed the growth and evolution of the Internet in the past 50 years
- Assess the evolution of Internet standards and protocols, as well as its architecture-design and system structures, in relation to its success
- Provide an innovative and inter-disciplinary interpretation of existing statistical analysis, technical measurements, and data describing the Internet of today (i.e., ITHI, routing data, IPv6 deployment, etc.)
- Analyse to what degree such technical factors are still present (or absent) in the Internet of today
- Develop a prospective outlook of the technical factors that have proven successful over the years, and risks affecting their continuity or threats to their stability
This study is not seeking musings of an idealized Internet. Rather, it seeks to identify and connect the Internet’s technical success factors and avoid subjective arguments or opinions regarding how the Internet currently functions, particularly as it relates to geopolitics.
APNIC and LACNIC encourage diversity of backgrounds and expertise in consultants or consortia of consultants.
Request for Proposals
APNIC and LACNIC invite interested expert consultants to make a proposal to conduct this study, either individually or as a team of consultants. Deadline for receiving applications is 15 March 2021 (see update below). All submissions must be received by this deadline and should include a budget and timeline for conducting the study.
The Request for Proposal contains full details on the project and how to respond. If you have questions or comments, email internetstudy [@] apnic.net
Update: Deadline to receive proposals has been extended until 31 March 2021.
Update: APNIC and LACNIC thank all who sent proposals. It was a difficult choice but a partnership has now been announced.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.
Dear Colleagues:
To be balanced, e.g., ” Both critiques and praises of the Internet by users,… “, I would recommend adding the following question to the list of study topics. That is,
“Compared to the traditional PSTN capable of locating the caller even before a call is answered, why does the Internet take so much time, days, months or even longer, to just begin speculating the perpetrator of a major cyber attack? ”
Regards,
Abe (2021-02-25 09:15 EST)