On 17 October 2023, Diplo hosted the first techtalk in the ‘Policy Meets Tech’ series, dedicated to unpacking the underlying infrastructure and standards of the internet.
Following the journey of an internet packet between Geneva and New York, the session dived deep into issues such as internet protocols and the domain name system, Wi-Fi and mobile communication standards, submarine cables, and satellite connectivity. Also discussed were internet business models and related policy topics (e.g. data as a currency, net neutrality the ‘fair share’ debate in which telecom operators advocate for a special fee to charge internet companies, and the AI-IoT interplay).
The ‘Policy Meets Tech’ is organised by Diplo, with the support of the US Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva; it includes a series of briefings for diplomats in Geneva with the aim to:
- unpack the complex world of digital technologies,
- understand what they can and cannot do, and
- explore their policy implications in a way that is relevant and actionable for diplomats.
