Global Technologies and Organizations

Question 1

What is the International Telecommunication Union? What are its goals?

Answer 1

• A U.N. agency specialized for information and communication technologies (ICT) based in Switzerland
• Its goals are to allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICT to underdeveloped communities worldwide.

Question 2

What is the history behind the ITU?

Answer 2

• Created in 1865
• Core nations control the ITU. Peripheral and semi peripheral nations want it to change.
• Plagued by political and ideological concerns
• Membership of 193 countries and over 700 private-sector entities and academic institutions.

Question 3

What are the roles of the ITU?

Answer 3

• Radio communication: satellite orbit issues and the international radio spectrum; ITU allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits
• Standardization: internationally compatible rules and standards; ITU develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies interconnect including Internet access, transport protocols, voice and video compression, home networking.
• Development: issues related to how ICT matters affect peripheral regions; ITU works to bridge the digital divide between core, semi-peripheral and peripheral nations at a high, tough price.

Question 4

What percentage of the world population is online? Not online?

Answer 4

Of the 7 billion in population, one third is online, mostly in the developed and developing world.
- Not using Internet: 65 percent

Question 5

What is ITU’s Information and Communication Technology industry eye? What does it regulate?

Answer 5

• ITU regulates satellite communications
• It receives and approves applications for use of orbital slots for satellites
• Every two to four years, the ITU convenes the World Radio Communication conference, which is responsible for assigning frequencies to various applications in various regions of the world.

Question 6

How does ITU relate to satellite communication?

Answer 6

• Most communication satellites were launched with the help of ITU and use a geo-stationary orbit
• first come, first serve policy as long as you can pay

Question 7

What is a geo-stationary orbit? What is the most effective position of a satellite?

Answer 7

• One in which the speed at which a satellite orbiting the Earth coincides with the speed that the Earth turns and at the same latitude, specifically zero, the latitude of the equator
• The most effective position of a satellite is 22,300 miles above the equator. At that position, a satellite can complete one orbit in 24 hours
• Advantage: this orbit requires less elaborate antennae/receivers to operate
• Problem: there is limited space in this area

Question 8

With only 4 percent of the world’s population, which country is the largest user of global telecommunication systems and services?

Answer 8

The Unites States, bitches.

Question 9

What are some issues on geo-stationary orbit?

Answer 9

• Situation does not favor semi and peripheral nations because rich nations reserve spots first
• Peripheral nations claim that the equator covers part of their land; therefore, part of the geo-stationary orbit should be reserved to them. They want fair and equitable access to satellite communication.
• So far, industrialized core nations, which developed new technologies first, refuse to compromise over equator’s thin slice

Question 10

What does Intelstat do?

Answer 10

• International Telecommunication Satellite Organization
• Provides satellite communication services since 1965
• Owned by four private equity firms
• United States is leading country of 144 Intelstat members
• Intelstat brings video, voice, audio, data and Intelstat services to more than 200 countries.

Question 11

List some satellite launch sites

Answer 11

Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Space Shuttle

Question 12

What do satellites face competition from?

Answer 12

Fiber optic cables and other land-based delivery systems such as power lines.

Question 13

What is the main advantage of satellites?

Answer 13

They can distribute signals from one point to many locations, ideal for broadcasting; does not require massive investments on the ground, making it ideal for undeserved and isolated areas with dispersed populations

Question 14

Before becoming a private company in 2011, what was Intelstat?

Answer 14

A governmental operating organization based on a consensus among its members

Question 15

Why is ITU’s role declining?

Answer 15

• Other stockholders without links to government have entered the telecommunication business (Microsoft, Intel, IBM) and some are ITU members
• they consider ITU a slow-moving body because it has government representatives
• semi peripheral and peripheral nations: if things are bad with ITU, without it things may be worse. Digital gap

Question 16

What is UNESCO

Answer 16

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• Dedicated to education at all levels
• Education for sustainable development, for peace and human rights, of HIV and AIDS, plus conflict, marginalization, governance

Question 17

UNESCO History

Answer 17

• created in 1945
• specialized UN agency based in Paris
  Developed the New World Information and Communication Order in the 1960s and 70s

Question 18

Early goals of UNESCO

Answer 18

• Help developing nations create their own news agencies and improve their communications systems
• Promote more access to technology and satellite space
• Help reverse information flow and help developing nations control the amount of cultural products sold by western media corporations to countries with indigenous cultures
• Help developing nations tell their side of stories to global audiences
• Improve literacy and use communication for development

Question 19

Current role of UNESCO

Answer 19

• Help countries use their natural resources by improving scientific and technological bases
• Improve communication and information systems
• Promote progress of social sciences and help nations change without losing indentities

Question 20

Ambiguities of UNESCO

Answer 20

• Created by western ally powers (core countries)
• Dominated by former European colonies
• Developing nations want to become industrialize and have access to technology, but many lack basic infrastructure for telephone, satellite transmission, and Internet access
• they also lack clean water, electricity, health and education infrastructure

Question 21

What is a delimma concerning UNESCO’s efforts?

Answer 21

• Most developing nations reject Western culture (ex. Hollywood films)
• however, core-nation technology and shows are easily accessible and cheaper than production or creation of high-quality indigenous production systems or software
• Certain developing nations that have embraced neoliberal economic policies such as Brazil (Globo Network), Mexico (Televisa), and India (Bollywood) have high-quality indigenous production systems but most nations can’t do that due to lack of resources.

Question 22

New UNESCO philosophy

Answer 22

• Agreement with principles of press freedom and freedom of expression (independent from government control, political or economic control)
• Development of an independent and pluralistic media and end of monopolies (most crucial requirement today)
• Practical programs to help peripheral nations

Question 23

Why was Inter Press Services created?

Answer 23

It was created as an end to one-way flow of media - a pool of contributing governmental information services

Question 24

What was the non-aligned movement?

Answer 24

The third option for developing nations to escape US/USSR dominance between the 1970’s and 80’s as the decolonization process continued.

Question 25

What is the World Trade Organization

Answer 25

• A forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements, it is a place for them to settle trade disputes
• Created in 1995, HQ in Geneva
• 153 member countries, controlled by rich
• Accused of favoring rich countries and multinational corporations

Question 26

What are some criticisms of WTO?

Answer 26

• rich countries are able to maintain high import quotas in certain products, blocking imports from developing countries
• The increase in non-tariff barriers such as anit-dumping measures allowed against developing countries
• The maintenance of high protection of agriculture in developed countries while developing ones are pressed to open their markets
• Many developing countries do not have the capacity to follow the negotiations and participate actively in the organization
• Created the TRIPs agreement, which limits developing countries from utilizing some technology that originates from abroad in their local systems (including medicines and agricultural products)

Question 27

What us the OECD?

Answer 27

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Created originally to rebuild Europe after World War II
• Established in 1961, HQ in Paris
• 34 member countries

Question 28

What is the OECD’s current mission?

Answer 28

• to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world
• It sets international standards on a wide range of things, from agriculture to telecommunication regulation.