網路冷戰：修訂國際電訊規範 網路控管掀論戰

策劃、編譯■李威撰國際電信聯盟12月在杜拜召開會議，修訂24年沒有更新過的《國際電信規定》，與會各國分裂成兩大陣營，在東西方及南北半球之間，引發了所謂的「網路冷戰」。共144個與會國中，有89國於14日簽訂了一項國際電訊協議。這項協議將在2015年生效，對通訊業者的營運、世界各地消費者的上網或撥打電話，都沒有太大影響。分裂為兩大陣營但針對該協議的尖銳爭論，卻暴露了國際社會的嚴重分裂。以美國為首的國家，倡議不要插手干預網路；但俄羅斯、中國、非洲多數國家及中東，則尋求政府有更大的網路監督力量。在國際電信聯盟主辦下，約150個國家齊聚杜拜，要翻新1988年以來所制定的一整套電信法規，當時通訊尚未因網路及手機的出現而產生劇變。由於與會各國無法謀得共識，網路問題可能會掀起一場新的戰爭。「世界會持續存在，各國將一如過去幾十年，循著不同陣線繼續保持合作。」雪梨顧問公司BuddeCom的常務董事布德表示：「但就包括網路在內的管制而論，ITU能走得多遠，他們之間有了明確的界線。」如同先前版本，《國際電信規定》詳述技術性問題該奉行的準則，像是電信業者如何就彼此撥入的國際電話收費，及課稅與結算等問題。簽訂協議的國家，可望會按照這些準則作為，儘管這些原則不具法律效力。阻擋部分協議內容的國家，其使用者如往常一般使用相同的網路。對電信業者來說，感受到的影響微乎其微，因為國際電話收費已透過彼此之間的商務合約決定。政府角色成焦點新版規定所加入的條文，成為爭論引爆點：譬如，由俄羅斯及中國所推動的4項方針，提及政府該如何保護網路安全。美國在談判過程中，則採取不容妥協的立場，拒絕考量任何涉及網路的協議。儘管ITU強調，網路控管不在討論議程當中；但最後，有關網路的爭論，遮蔽了高峰會上的其他各項議題。結果，某些非洲及中東國家認為，爭議遮掩了其他重要的改革問題，譬如改善內陸及海島國家取得寬頻的條款。由於簽署協議的國家減少，削弱了這項努力。▲一名男子站在谷歌位於北京的總部前，一旁是谷歌使用者獻上的鮮花，圖攝於2010年1月13日。谷歌當時對外宣布，不滿北京當局的網路管控行為，有意停止在大陸營運。（圖文／路透）其他議案還包括要求國際漫遊收費要更透明，ITU希望不再發生「帳單驚嚇」的問題，以及承諾改善身障者能享有的電信服務，還有要求政府減少電信設備的廢棄物。有一項條款則呼籲各國停止「未經收信人許可的大量電子通訊」（即垃圾郵件）則引來美方集團的不快，他們表示這會讓政府拿來當作封鎖郵件的藉口，但ITU強烈否認這項指控。ITU杜拜峰會的首席顧問希爾表示：「無論現在推行甚麼，都不會有甚麼作用，而這項協議呼籲政府（對某些人來說這是個髒字，但總要有人去做）合作，看我們能在這個領域裡能做出哪些更好的貢獻。」其他重要議題遭忽視對發展中國家來說，這些議題特別要緊；對其他那些富裕國家來說，因為已經有偌大的改進，所以沒有簽署的誘因。希爾補充：「這確實很重要，但沒有什麼內情，他們不是因政治理由才簽定。」經過12天激烈的、絕大數在私底下進行的談判，雙方敵對陣營不爽彼此，這需要一段時間才能平復。支持協議一方的代表，指控美國及歐洲未能妥協，使得協議在13日破裂。ITU的官員14日用樂觀的態度看待此次的高峰會，預估許多尚未簽署的國家，只要在他們一一拜會各國立法部門之後，就會願意簽署。「ITU的重要性不會減少，但它會試著以非強制的方式，對網路提出一些要求。」一名不願公布身分的歐洲代表表示：「這是有一絲機會的，但無論是ITU的勝利或失敗，它都沒有催動任何事物的能力，它要仰賴成員國──有些認為要擴充授權，其他則說不行。」（路透）▲落日時分，在馬爾他的遊客使用手機，圖攝於2011年10月26日。（圖文／路透）An international telecommunications （1） treaty signed by 89 out of 144 attending nations on Friday will have little impact on how carriers operate or how consumers surf the web or make calls around the world when it comes into effect in 2015.But the acrimonious debate over the treaty have exposed a deep split in the international community. A U.S.-led bloc advocated a hands-off（2） approach to the Internet, while Russia, China and much of Africa and the Middle East sought greater governmental oversight of cyberspace.About 150 nations met in Dubai, under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to update a set of telecom rules dating back to 1988, before the Internet and mobile phones transformed communications. Their failure to find a consensus may herald a new fight over cyberspace."The world will still be around and countries will still cooperate along the lines they have done for decades," said Paul Budde, managing director of Sydney-based consultancy BuddeCom. "However, they have clearly drawn a line under how far they believe the ITU can go in relation to regulations that include the Internet."As in a prior version, the International Telecom Regulations spell out guidelines on technical issues such as how carriers （3） charge each other for incoming international phone calls, as well as taxation and accounting. Countries that sign the treaty are supposed to be guided by its principles, although these have no force of law.Users in countries that block certain content will still experience the same version of the Internet, while telecom operators will feel little impact because international call charges are decided via commercial contracts between them.The new version added passages that became flash points: for example, four lines pushed by Russia and China on how governments should protect the security of networks. The United States took a no-compromise position throughout negotiations, refusing to consider any references to the Internet in the treaty.In the end, the debate over the Internet overshadowed （4） all else at the summit, despite the ITU insisting that regulating cyberspace was not on the agenda. As a result, some countries in Africa and the Middle East felt the controversy overshadowed important reforms, such as provisions to improve broadband access to landlocked （5） and island nations, which may be weakened by fewer countries signing the treaty.Other measures include a call for greater transparency in roaming charges, which the ITU hopes will end "bill shock", plus commitments to improve disabled access to telecom services and for governments to reduce telecom equipment waste.A clause calling for countries to stop "unsolicited bulk electronic communications" - spam - drew the ire of the U.S. bloc, which said it could be interpreted by governments to block emails, an accusation the ITU vehemently denied."Whatever is in place now doesn't seem to be working and this treaty calls on governments - it's a dirty word for some, but somebody has to do it - to cooperate to see what we can do better in that area," said Richard Hill, chief counselor for International Telecommunication Union's Dubai summit.These issues are more vital in developing countries, with other countries having already addressed them to a large extent, so richer nations had less incentive to sign the treaty."That's certainly the case, but it's no secret they're not signing for political reasons," added Hill.After 12 days of rancorous, largely private negotiations, the bad feeling between the two opposing camps may take some time to ease. Delegates from the pro-treaty group accused the United States and Europe of reneging on a compromise agreement that fell apart on Thursday.ITU officials on Friday gave an upbeat interpretation of the summit, predicting many of the countries that had yet to sign the treaty would do so once they have consulted with their respective legislatures."The ITU won't become irrelevant but it tried to claim some of the Internet without having the mandate to do so," said a European delegate who declined to be identified. "It saw an opportunity, but both the triumph and the curse of the ITU is that it can't instigate anything, it depends on member states - some said let's expand the mandate and others said let's not."（Reuters）關鍵字詞1.telecommunication（n.）電信2.hands-off（a.）不插手的3.carrier（n.）電信業者4.overshadow（v.）奪去...的光彩、遮蔽5.landlocked（a.）內陸的