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What is the Internet Governance Ecosystem?

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What is the Internet Governance Ecosystem?

No single entity runs the Internet. Government, business, academia, technical community, civil society, and individual users all play different roles in Internet governance across national, regional, and global sphere.

The Internet ecosystem is governed through a layered model that segregates and characterizes different functions of the Internet and its applications. There are different ways to look at those layers. For example, ICANN’s recent infographic illustrates the three layers of the ecosystem, from top to bottom: 1) economic and societal layer, 2) logical infrastructure layer, and 3) physical infrastructure layer.

Solutions to issues in each layer include policies, best practices, standards, and specifications. Together, stakeholder experts develop, apply, and influence those solutions that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.