Page 117 - Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016

4 Interoperability in the digital ecosystem

Author: Urs Gasser, Professor of Practice, Harvard Law School; Executive Director,
Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University

4.1 Introduction This explosion of new IoT technologies, however, is
built primarily on a single concept: interoperability.
Large parts of the world are now interconnected In order for a car, a jet engine, a parking meter, or
as never before. People stay in touch with far- a pill bottle to send and receive important data, it
away family and friends for little cost. They learn needs to be able to connect seamlessly to other
about news instantly, access knowledge remotely, systems and networks in ways that are meaningful
collaborate more efficiently, and conduct every and secure. That ability to secure the necessary
manner of business online. The most complex interconnection of systems is interoperability (or
systems—government agencies, financial “interop”).
institutions, transportation infrastructures, health
care and energy systems—are linked by new, This capacity for connection has the ability to
ubiquitous information media, which are essential make daily life more convenient or efficient.
components of today’s global economy. But as But the growing level of interconnectedness
interconnected as things currently are, they will may come at a high price if it is designed or
grow dramatically more so with the emergence of implemented poorly. Society must make trade-offs
the Internet of Things (IoT). as people and devices become digitally connected
everywhere and anytime. As individuals
The IoT is the term for how anything that struggle to keep up with news and information,
can be connected to the Internet will be. they become vulnerable, in ways that are not
Interconnectedness through the Internet means obvious and are often misunderstood. The same
not only new forms of interactions with end users, infrastructure that enables people to create, store,
but also new forms of interactions with other and share information can put their privacy and
devices. This is a world in which the car of a security at risk. Society’s most advanced systems
driver who is running late automatically will send and infrastructures have become so complex that
a text message to the driver’s next appointment they are hard to manage effectively. And while
in order to let them know she’s running late. Or, many parts of daily life become more connected,
a jet engine can inform the ground crew that it some remain woefully under-connected.
needs maintenance before the plane takes off.
City parking meters can help drivers find open For that reason, it is important to define the
spots in order to reduce pollution and congestion. optimal level of interconnectedness and to
A pill bottle can remind a patient to take the understand how technology, markets, law, and
next dose. The possibilities for new forms of regulation can shape the outcomes. As a first
interconnectedness are staggering and endless. step, this chapter looks at a framework for
assessing how complex systems, components,
Some experts believe that the market for IoT and applications are connected—or sometimes,
devices will grow exponentially over the coming inexplicably, still separate. Then the chapter
years, resulting in over USD 1.7 trillion in value evaluates some of the promises and the
added to the global economy by 2019. This drawbacks that come with increased connectivity.
1
explosion of new, connected devices will require Finally, the chapter looks at approaches to
new infrastructure and technologies. Some enabling interop, and the role that governments,
analysts expect that new infrastructure models will regulators, and organizations such as the ITU can
be deployed within two years, and many existing play in that process.
networks will become overwhelmed with IoT
traffic within just three years. 2

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