ENUM: Bridging the Gap Between Telecommunications and the Internet

Title: ENUM: Bridging the Gap Between Telecommunications and the Internet

Research Question: How can ENUM, a protocol that bridges the gap between telecommunications and the Internet, be managed and governed to ensure consumer protection, privacy, and competition?

Methodology: The study used a combination of literature review, legal analysis, and policy analysis to examine the implications of ENUM. It drew on international telecommunications law and Internet governance principles to propose a framework for managing and governing ENUM.

Results: The research found that ENUM presents significant public policy issues at both the domestic and international levels. It argued that a single, coordinated global DNS domain for at least Tier 0 (the international level) of the ENUM names hierarchy should be designated by public authorities. It also highlighted that many of the technical characteristics and policy considerations relevant at the ENUM Tier 0 and 1 zones are directly applicable to the Internet's IP address space and DNS root (or Tier 0) zone.

Implications: The study concluded that the management and governance of ENUM should be approached as an international public policy issue due to the inherently global nature of the Internet's logical infrastructure. It argued that public oversight of ENUM naming, numbering, and addressing resources is justified both by technical necessity and the interests of consumer protection, privacy, and competition.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0109091v2 Authors: arXiv ID: 0109091v2