Development

Internet development is about people.

Shared knowledge and collaborative relationships are key drivers of successful Internet growth, not technology alone.

We believe that:
  • Internet participants are colleagues capable of making unique contributions to their local Internet community and to the global Internet.
  • Internet development activities should promote information and experience sharing locally as well as facilitate the participation of local experts in global activities that influence future Internet directions.
  • Local people must be empowered to make informed choices about how best to use and apply a broad range of networking techniques, applications, and technologies to their local situations.
  • Long-term Internet development does not happen by imposing solutions.
  • To make a lasting impact, Internet development activities should aim to achieve self-sustainability through local Internet experts and technology.
  • Strong partnerships with local communities and organisations are necessary for achieving success.
  • Governmental bodies play a key role by promoting policy approaches and regulatory environments that enable Internet growth and deployment.  Decisions should be informed by sound information about the Internet and take advantage of multi-stakeholder approaches and input.

Smart Development

The Internet Society works to foster growth and access to technology by bringing information, training, and partnerships to people and communities across the globe.

We amplify our efforts by concentrating on building projects focused on sustainable human, technical, and governance infrastructures. We believe these three fundamental pillars are the key to sucessful Internet development initiatives that benefits local culture, empowers users and generate economic growth.

We call this smart development.

Smart development is about:
  1. Human Infrastructure
    Trained, educated and engaged people who create, sustain, and maintain networks at a local and regional level. People who connect with each other and form “trusted human networks” that build content and innovate around the world. This is what allows the Internet to grow and become a platform for economic and community development.
  2. Technical infrastructure
    The networks, computers, protocols (“standards”), Internet exchange points, and other technology that the Internet runs “on”, and through which the unconnected become connected. Where innovation drives technology and economic growth.
  3. Governance Infrastructure
    The frameworks, guidelines and rules that promote Internet use, innovation and expansion are critical to allow the Internet to fulfill Its’ potential as a channel for human expression and development. This can be as simple as committed and organized people who manage an IXP, to robust stakeholder commitment to building out the Internet and discussing
Why is this important?

The Internet works because its governance is distributed, open, inclusive, collaborative, and transparent. We work to keep it this way. 

Smart Development aims to strengthen this idea. It represents a positive, inclusive, and proven alternative to policies that can stifle innovation and network development. It offers an apolitical, non-interventionist method of building Internet connectivity and engagement that is accessible anywhere in the world and offers proven, cost-effective and replicable results.

We make this happen by:

And we focus our work on selected key issues:

Development News

The Divide: Internet Society’s Mark Buell on what’s ‘very good’ and ‘less good’ in the broadband bill
Broadband World News logo
In the News 18 November 2021

The Divide: Internet Society’s Mark Buell on what’s ‘very good’ and ‘less good’ in the broadband bill

Broadband World News
The UK’s struggle with digital schooling
Computer Weekly logo
In the News 11 January 2021

The UK’s struggle with digital schooling

Computer Weekly
Africa’s digital revolution needs data centres
How We Made It In Africa logo
In the News 28 December 2020

Africa’s digital revolution needs data centres

How We Made It In Africa
‘Slow progress’ towards affordable internet for all
SciDevNet logo
In the News 11 December 2020

‘Slow progress’ towards affordable internet for all

SciDev Net
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao’s statement on the launch of a global platform to help protect telecommunication networks during the COVID-19 crisis
ITU-logo
In the News 23 March 2020

ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao’s statement on the launch of a global platform to help protect telecommunication networks during the COVID-19 crisis

ITU
Internet Society Announces Launch of New Chapter in Ethiopia, holds first ever Internet Dev’t Conference
Addis Standard logo
In the News 4 March 2020

Internet Society Announces Launch of New Chapter in Ethiopia, holds first ever Internet Dev’t Conference

Addis Standard