IGF 2025 Networking Session #191 Open Walk to the birth of the Internet

    UiO & Basic Internet Foundation
    Josef Noll, University of Oslo (UiO), Academia Jonathan Muringani, Basic Internet Foundation, NGO Annhild Mosdøl, Lillestrøm Municipality, Public
    Speakers
    Svein Stølen, Director at UiO, Academia, Norway Vint Cerf, Google, USA Josef Noll, Professor at UiO, Academia, Norway Rolf Spilling, private industry, Norway This session is co-organised by the host country Norway through UiO and Basic Internet Foundation
    Onsite Moderator
    Josef Noll
    Online Moderator
    no online, as it is a walk outside
    Rapporteur
    Jonathan Muringani
    SDGs
    7.1
    7.2
    8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
    9.c
    10. Reduced Inequalities
    10.6


    Targets: The Nordic & Baltic countries have an impressive growth thanks to adopting the opportunities from digital technologies in an inclusive way. As Joseph Stiglitz pointed out in "the cost of inequality", an inclusive society has a much bigger chance to adopt innovations. With the birth of the Internet in mind, the three building blocks for Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) are: - Access to energy (SDG 7.1 and 7.2) - Access to information (SDG 9.c) - Information (SDG 16.10) An inclusive Internet contributes to reducing inequalities (SDG 10).
    Format
    Roundtable

    2.5 km walk from Nova Spectrum to Kjeller return by public transport/bus
    Duration (minutes)
    60
    Description
    The afternoon session will be a 2,5 km walk from the event to the UNIK building where the Internet (Arpanet) reached Europe back in June 1973. UNIK, now the Department of Technology Systems (ITS) is co-located with NORSAR at Kjeller close to Lillestrøm, where IGF 2025 takes place. The building hosts the first termination of the ARPANET in Europe, back in 1973. The start of the Internet in Europe and the mobile phone development is closely related to people teaching at UNIK: * Pål Spilling, who brought the Internet to Europe * Torleiv Maseng, who contributed to the development of GSM. On the way, we'll pass Kjeller Airport, the first land-base landing place in Norway, and now going through a transition. At Kjeller we'll have a Gathering with an open discussion, from the "birth of the Internet" and the history from 2G to 6G mobile communications, focussing on "lessons learned". You'll have the opportunity to meet people with first hand (Vint Cerf) and second hand (Rolf Spilling, Josef Noll) experiences from the Internet.

    As it is an outside event (walk), there is no opportunity to join virtually.