More broadband, please: The Internet Society’s Israel Chapter has reached out to the Israeli government about a number of issues affecting the country’s broadband service. Commenting on a plan by telecom provider Bezeq to roll out fiber broadband to 80 percent of households in the country within six years, it said the Ministry of Communications should carry out a data-based examination of the rollout plan. The chapter is also encouraging the ministry to go forward with plans to monitor cell coverage provided by carriers as a condition of their spectrum licenses. It added that information about the quality of existing cellular coverage should be published.
Excessive power: Israel isn’t the only Internet Society chapter that’s been commenting on government policy lately. The Hong Kong chapter has raised concerns about a Chinese anti-doxxing bill that it says will give the privacy commissioner there “excessive power”. The bill will also damage the free flow of information in Hong Kong and go against the principles of open and unrestricted Internet promoted around the globe, the chapter said. It’s also concerned about a larger privacy bill for many of the same reasons.
Securing the Internet: The Dominican Republic chapter has commented on an effort by the Cybersecurity Management Law Project to improve cybersecurity in the country. Any cybersecurity-related policies should also promote net neutrality, allow for the free flow of information online, and use open architectures, the chapter said.
Promoting encryption: Two chapters in Africa have been talking about the importance of strong encryption. In Uganda, IT professional Ambrose Etigu wrote about the role of encryption in an ever-more-connected world. The pace of digital innovation, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a major dependence on the Internet and information technology, he wrote. “Any efforts to upset the order of things will knock the human life off the balance and roil that which our lives intensely depend on – encryption remains the remedy.” The Madagascar chapter also recently wrote about the importance of encryption, with an explainer about how it works.