George Sadowsky, Global Internet Policy Initiative, Washington, DC, USA

During the last 10 years, the Internet has evolved from a network serving a relatively small and homogeneous community to a world wide information and communications service like none before it. This evolution has produced very substantial benefits for many people. However both new and continuing challenges must be overcome if we are to realize the full benefits of this new technology and realize the goal of "Internet for everyone.'

This talk will focus on the current state of the Internet and will explore the real challenges and potential benefits for developing countries and regions of the world, the academic and research community, and other sectors of civil society.