Publication

This paper explains how the Internet is governed through the policies enacted by private industry and administration by global institutions, as well as how global public policy decisions are produced through this governance framework. It describes three fundamental control functions necessary for the Internet to operate: control of critical Internet resources (CIRs), such as names and numerical addresses; governance in terms of Internet standards; and governance of routing and interconnection. It concludes by highlighting common themes in these areas and a number of open governance issues.