[arin-ppml] Policy Proposal 2008-4 - Staff Assessment

[David Farmer]

On 10 Oct 2008 Bill Darte wrote:

> David,
> 
> ARIN did not initiate the proposed change for the Caribbean sector.
>
> My first experience with issues surrounding this proposal was in a
> pre-sector meeting in St. Thomas February of '07.
> 
> There, many representatives of the Caribbean community voiced a variety
> of concerns related to limited infrastructure, lack of competition  due
> to powerful and protected imcumbency, etc.  They learned much about ARIN
> and learned more during the whole region meeting in Puerto Rico the
> following Spring at ARIN XIX. 
> 
> Cathy and Paul may correct me, but I believe the impetus for the actual
> writing of the proposal came during Open Policy Hour at ARIN XXI in
> Denver.  There, Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the Caribbean
> Telecommunications Union spoke about the need for change and support
> with addressing policy.
>
> Cathy and Paul responded by crafting a draft proposal very shortly
> thereafter.
>

Yes, I remember I was there and I raised the very issue I'm raising now.  
Why exclude the other small stuff by defining this with a scope limited to the 
Caribbean.  I even went back a review the Quicktime of the Open Policy 
Hour from Denver, because I honestly couldn't remember if I only thought 
about raising the issue or if I actually did. 

I'm going to have to stick with the courage of my convictions on this one, I 
simply cannot support this policy if it is limited to the Caribbean.  It has to 
include all of the smaller economies in the ARIN Region.  In my view the 
valid issue here is that the smaller economies simply can't meet ARIN's 
current requirements, which are mostly based on what is workable for the 
US and Canada, but that issue doesn't have a Caribbean box around it.

I also, think it is completely wrong for ARIN to lower the standards for the 
US and Canada, it mostly works here.  To that end, I'm going the completely 
withdraw the idea that the Arctic regions of the US and Canada are even 
part, or could even be part of this issue.  The economies of US and Canada 
are large enough to solve Arctic regions on their own.  

This discussion and reviewing the Open Policy Hour Quicktime from 
Denver, has help me to come to the conclusion that the proper scope of this 
issues and maybe even the proper title is "Small Economies within the ARIN 
Region"  

The issue here isn't a geographical region, "it's the economy, stupid." (it 
never cease to amaze me how many places that is a valid quote for :)) By 
scooping it by economy, we deal with population, infrastructure, and 
remoteness, etc... as they all play a role in an economy. 

I'll grant that primary effect of this policy will be in the Caribbean, they are 
probably the "Small Economies" that are even big enough and advanced 
enough to actually have the issue currently, but that doesn't make it right to 
exclude the other "Small Economies" from this policy.  

So, I support this important policy, iff (if an only if) it includes all the smaller 
economies in the ARIN Region.


=======================================================
David Farmer				     Email:	farmer at umn.edu
Office of Information Technology
Networking & Telecomunication Services
University of Minnesota			     Phone:	612-626-0815
2218 University Ave SE			     Cell:		612-812-9952
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3029		     FAX:	612-626-1818
=======================================================