The Global Internet

Session format: short presentations, preferably five minute talks (maybe 10 min?)

Session goal 1: country profiles from researchers who work in different areas of the world. Presentations would be quick overviews of the internet, technology infrastructure, usage patterns, etc. in disparate regions

Session goal 2: futurism scenarios of how technology is likely to evolve in these contexts based on current trajectories

Description: The Global Internet: Emerging Tech in Emerging Markets

The Internet as a technology with specific capabilities is remarkably context-dependent depending on where users are located and what infrastructure they can access. Weather-dependent in Cambodia, subject to invisible and constantly shifting censorship in Uzbekistan or China, or still delivered primarily over dial-up speeds in rural areas around the globe, the objective measure of "Internet access" doesn't tell us that much about what kinds of content people can access, the interaction and communication modes they adopt, and how the technology gets integrated into everyday life and professional practice. In these areas of greater constraint, people are innovative and unpredictable in how they adapt certain technologies to local needs. When we look at specific countries and people's patterns of adoption and usage, how does our understanding of the global Internet change? The innovative use of Internet and mobiles in emerging markets points to what kind of future for other emerging technologies?