ONI Testing Results
In 2007 and 2008, the OpenNet Initiative conducted tests in Ukraine from different
access points on six main ISPs: Alkar, Intertelecom, Visti Net, Volz, Volia, and UkrTelecom. The ONI concluded that there is no filtering on the backbone in Ukraine. However, the ONI found that a number of U.S. military Web sites as well as one gambling
site were subject to reverse blocking and hence inaccessible in Ukraine. 59
Conclusion
The citizens of Ukraine enjoy unfettered access to the Internet. The country’s Internet
infrastructure is rapidly developing, and ICTs are beginning to have a more notable
influence over the political process. The country possesses an Internet infrastructure
that is more oriented toward European ISPs, and this orientation diminishes the influence of any filtering behavior on the part of Russian ISPs. The government has built up
an intricate system of bodies and content regulations that can be geared toward surveillance of information carried on telecommunications networks, including the Internet.
Notes
1. The Networked Readiness Framework assesses the extent to which different economies benefit
from the latest ICT advances based on three indexes: environment, network readiness, and usage.
See World Economic Forum, The Global Information Technology Report 2008–2009, http://www
.weforum.org/pdf/gitr/2009/gitr09fullreport.pdf.
2. Ibid.
3. Joshua Goldstein, ‘‘The Role of Digital Networked Technologies in the Ukrainian Orange Revolution,’’ Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2007-14, December 2007, http://cyber.law
.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/Goldstein_Ukraine_2007.pdf.
4. Paul Budde Communication Pty., Ltd., ‘‘Ukraine—Key Statistics and Telecommunications Market,’’ January 15, 2009.
5. World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies, ‘‘Ukraine: President Signs Legislation to
Privatise Ukrtelekom,’’ January 26, 2007, http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/918/79/.
6. Andriy Vorobyov, ‘‘Ukraine Telecommunications Market Report,’’ BISNIS, 2005, http://www
.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/0602UkraineTelecomReport.htm.
7. As of April 2005, Ukrtelecom’s overall telecommunications network consisted of 78,665 km of
lines, of which 17,169 km were fiber-optic communication lines.
8. Miniwatts Marketing Group, ‘‘Internet World Statistics: Ukraine,’’ 2009, http://www
.internetworldstats.com/europa2.htm#ua.
Ukraine
259
In 2007 and 2008, the OpenNet Initiative conducted tests in Ukraine from different
access points on six main ISPs: Alkar, Intertelecom, Visti Net, Volz, Volia, and UkrTelecom. The ONI concluded that there is no filtering on the backbone in Ukraine. However, the ONI found that a number of U.S. military Web sites as well as one gambling
site were subject to reverse blocking and hence inaccessible in Ukraine. 59
Conclusion
The citizens of Ukraine enjoy unfettered access to the Internet. The country’s Internet
infrastructure is rapidly developing, and ICTs are beginning to have a more notable
influence over the political process. The country possesses an Internet infrastructure
that is more oriented toward European ISPs, and this orientation diminishes the influence of any filtering behavior on the part of Russian ISPs. The government has built up
an intricate system of bodies and content regulations that can be geared toward surveillance of information carried on telecommunications networks, including the Internet.
Notes
1. The Networked Readiness Framework assesses the extent to which different economies benefit
from the latest ICT advances based on three indexes: environment, network readiness, and usage.
See World Economic Forum, The Global Information Technology Report 2008–2009, http://www
.weforum.org/pdf/gitr/2009/gitr09fullreport.pdf.
2. Ibid.
3. Joshua Goldstein, ‘‘The Role of Digital Networked Technologies in the Ukrainian Orange Revolution,’’ Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2007-14, December 2007, http://cyber.law
.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/Goldstein_Ukraine_2007.pdf.
4. Paul Budde Communication Pty., Ltd., ‘‘Ukraine—Key Statistics and Telecommunications Market,’’ January 15, 2009.
5. World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies, ‘‘Ukraine: President Signs Legislation to
Privatise Ukrtelekom,’’ January 26, 2007, http://www.regulateonline.org/content/view/918/79/.
6. Andriy Vorobyov, ‘‘Ukraine Telecommunications Market Report,’’ BISNIS, 2005, http://www
.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/0602UkraineTelecomReport.htm.
7. As of April 2005, Ukrtelecom’s overall telecommunications network consisted of 78,665 km of
lines, of which 17,169 km were fiber-optic communication lines.
8. Miniwatts Marketing Group, ‘‘Internet World Statistics: Ukraine,’’ 2009, http://www
.internetworldstats.com/europa2.htm#ua.
Ukraine
259