International

Telecommunication

Background

Arthur LEVIN (ITU)

Arthur Levin is a Policy Adviser with the ITU and his responsibilities also include the development of new ITU initiatives in the areas of regulation and electronic commerce and organizing the World Summit on the Information Society. He formerly served as Legal Officer of the ITU. He also holds an appointment as an adjunct professor of law at the Franklin Pierce Law Center in the United States,

where he teaches a course on International Telecommunications Law and the Internet. He previously served as Legal Adviser of the OECD in Paris and as a senior attorney with regulatory agencies in the United States.

He has published numerous articles and books on regulatory topics and is contributing editor for the book "China’s Internet Policy & Legislation" which was published this year.

Background information

Internet governance: Internet governance is

the development and application by

Governments, the private sector and civil society,

in their respective roles, of shared principles,

norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and

programs that shape the evolution and use of the

Internet.

Telecommunication: Telecommunication is

assisted transmission over a distance for the

purpose of communication.

In earlier times, this may have involved the use of

smoke signals, drums, semaphore, flags or

heliograph. In modern times, telecommunication

typically involves the use of electronic devices

such as the telephone, television, radio or

computer.

The main tasks of The International

Telecommunication Union include

standardization, allocation of the radio spectrum,

and organizing interconnection arrangements

between different countries to allow international

phone calls — in which regard it performs for

telecommunications a similar function to what the

UPU performs for postal services.

Words and Expressions

Leapfrog

jump across; progress by large jumps instead of small increments

e.g. Many developing countries are leapfrogging to the latest communications technology, leaving richer countries behind.

Anomalous

deviating from the general or common order or type

e.g. He is in an anomalous position as the only part-time worker in the firm.

Spam

advertising material sent by email to large numbers of people who have not asked for it ; unwanted e-mail (usually of a commercial nature sent out in bulk)

e.g. There are filters to block spam from your inbox.

Exponential

of or involving exponents

Exponent: someone who expounds and interprets or explains; a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea

e.g. She's an exponent of the opinions of Freud.

Multilateral

having many parts or sides

e.g. If a peace process got under way, Saudi Arabia would participate directly in multilateral talks about such problems of regional concern as shipping and pollution.

n. multilateralism

Millennium

a span of 1000 years; the 1000th anniversary (or the celebration of it)

e.g. One who believes the millennium will occur.

Approaches

ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation

e.g. There are several ways of approaching the problem.

异曲同工 :Obtaining the same result from different approaches.

Contentious

inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits; combative, disputatious, disputative, litigious involving or likely to cause controversy

e.g. There is a contentious clause in the treaty.

Concession

a contract granting the right to operate a subsidiary business; grant

the act of conceding or yielding; conceding, yielding a point conceded or yielded

e.g. We will make some concession in price.

Homogeneity

the quality of being similar or comparable in kind or nature homogeneousness; the quality of being of uniform throughout in composition or structure

e.g. Homogeneity is the quality of being homogeneous.

Consensus

agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole

e.g. There is broad consensus (of opinion) in the country on this issue.

Caterpillars

a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth n. 毛虫

e.g. A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.

Monopoly

(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller; exclusive control or possession of something

e.g. The telecommunication service is a government monopoly.

Deploy

to distribute systematically or strategically; place troops or weapons in battle formation

e.g. Some of this money is to be deployed in research and development

Vermin

an irritating or obnoxious person; varmint any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats

e.g. In Scotland, wild cat is treated as vermin and poisoned.

Prong

a pointed projection pronged - having prongs or tines; usually used in combination; "a three-tined fork"

e.g. One of the prongs of the garden fork went through his foot