History of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) : transnational techno-diplomacy from the telegraph to the Internet / edited by Gabriele Balbi and Andreas Fickers.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Balbi, Gabriele, 1979- editor.

Series:

Innovation and diplomacy in Modern Europe ; Volume 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International Telecommunication Union.

Telecommunication--International cooperation.

Telecommunication.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (VI, 354 p.)

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter Oldenbourg, [2020]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Information and communication technologies are networked. Exchanging information betweentwo points in a network requires both the definition of what kind of information is to beexchanged (standardization) and the definition of rules and procedures of how this informationis produced, circulated, and received (regulation). As such, processes of standardization (thenegotiation and definition of technical standards) and regimes of regulation (theirimplementation and control by a legally and/or politically recognized institution) are at theheart of techno-political diplomacy, because they involve a multitude of actors (technical,economic, and political) and arenas (platforms of negotiation) on national, international, andtransnational levels. As the term techno-diplomacy suggests, these processes are characterizedby strategic actions, and tactical maneuvers among all actors involved and generally require ahigh degree of both technical knowledge and diplomatic skills by the negotiating parties. This book aims at studying the role of one specific actor in the field of standardization andregulation of information and communication technologies, the InternationalTelecommunication Union from its origins in the mid-19th century to nowadays. In this technodiplomatic game, ITU has been indeed an actor and had a key-role in different realms such asregulations of tariffs, technological standardization and homogeneity, establishment of sharednorms, promotion and support of projects and studies for example in developing countries.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

Introduction: The ITU as Actor, Arena, and Antenna of Techno-Diplomacy

1 The Russian Empire and the International Telegraph Union, 1856–1875

2 ITU, Submarine Cables and African Colonies, 1850s–1900s

3 When Techno-Diplomacy Failed: Walter S. Rogers, the Universal Electrical Communications Union, and the Limitations of the International Telegraph Union as a Global Actor in the 1920s

4 ITU, the Development Debate, and Technical Cooperation in the Global South, 1950–1992

5 The Rising Role of China in the Promotion of Multilateral Internet Governance, 1994–2014

6 Is the International Telecommunication Union Still Relevant in “the Internet Age?” Lessons From the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT)

7 Telegraphic Diplomacy From the Origins to the Formative Years of the ITU, 1849–1875

8 The International Radiotelegraph Union Over the Course of World War I, 1912–1927

9 Technology Taking Over Diplomacy? The ‘Comité Consultatif International (for) Fernschreiben’ (CCIF) and Its Relationship to the ITU in the Early History of Telephone Standardization, 1923–1947

10 A Union of Nations or Administrations? Voting Rights, Representation, and Sovereignty at the International Telecommunication Union in the 1930s

11 ITU Exhibitions in Switzerland: Displaying the “Big Family of Telecommunications,” 1960s–1970s

12 Techno-Diplomacy of the Planetary Periphery, 1960s–1970s

13 The ITU Facing the Emergence of the Internet, 1960s–Early 2000s

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes index.

ISBN:

3-11-066970-6

OCLC:

1158159465