What Can the Future Hold for the Internet?

Earlier this year, The Internet Society (ISOC), an OpenStand Affirming Partner, initiated a project to examine the future of the Internet. They solicited hundreds of responses in order to put together a framework for future scenarios, questions and insight into what could change the Internet in the years to come – and now ISOC is reaching out to the public to populate its framework with additional detail.

According to its post, ISOC asserts that society “can’t afford to take the Internet – or its future – for granted.”  In light of this, ISOC asserts the criticality of beginning to examine, create scenarios, and participate in shaping what the future can hold for one of the world’s most powerful tools.

In issuing another survey, which closed June 26, 2016, ISOC has extended the “The Future of the Internet” project to further explore issues uncovered in its initial survey, and develop develop scenarios related to how certain forces may evolve.  The Internet has driven generation of unprecedented global innovation and economic growth.

Moving ahead, ISOC has established the following project timeline::

  • A look at the forces of change impacting the future of the Internet – Quarter 3/Quarter 4 2016
  • Draft of Future Internet Scenarios for Global Input and Comment – Quarter 4 2016
  • Release of Revised Future Internet Scenarios – Quarter 1 2017
  • Discussion papers on top Internet issues – Quarter 2 2017
  • Recommendations for creating the future Internet we want – Quarter 2 2017