Can the Internet Survive the Next 40 Years?

The Internet and associated Internet technologies are now roughly 40 years old and have clearly become one of the core civilizational infrastructures, similar to water, electricity and transportation. It is also rapidly displacing older communication networks such as the telephone network and cable video distribution. This raises a number of important questions: What are the key attributes of the Internet that led to its success? Can the Internet be made secure? What are the economic challenges for the Internet? How can we ensure an open Internet for all? What happens when old-style networks are being replaced? What are the key challenges for the mobile Internet? Professor Schulzrinne’s talk will try to illustrate some of the problems at the intersection of public policy, economics and engineering, motivating why addressing these issues needs contributions from all three disciplines.

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