Emerald Group Publishing has informed us that Milton Mueller's paper, IP addressing: the next frontier of internet governance debate has been selected as a Highly Commended Winner at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2007.

The purpose of the research was to broaden understanding of internet governance policy options by reviewing and assessing proposals for reforming the institutional mechanisms used to allocate and assign IPv6 addresses.  

The debate over addressing policy is in its early stages and has a long way to go. A review of the debate so far suggests that the introduction of economic incentives in addressing might improve route aggregation rather than worsen it. With respect to conservation and aggregation incentives, policy diversity might help internet service providers find a more optimal trade-off between the needs of users and the needs of the suppliers of connectivity.

The policy alternatives discussed in the paper could have a major impact on the future of the internet, as address allocation and assignment directly affect the way the internet functions and the distribution of costs and benefits between users and suppliers.


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