Information Society Watch

October 25, 2007, Sally Whittle, The Guardian

The article focuses on the story of the South Pacific islands of Tokelau, where an entrepreneur bought the rights to sell the Internet addresses with the Tokelauan .tk domain. The report discusses the positive impact that this has had on a community encountering the harsh and detrimental effects of climate change on their local economies. The revenues to emerge from the deal, in part negotiated by ICANN, have grown rapidly and now account for 10% of the islands' total GDP. Moreover, the money is being invested in a new communications infrastructure that is serving both the educational and social needs of young Tokelauans. Eighty percent of the technology already installed uses solar power, which it is hoped, will motivate further research into the use of more renewable energy resources for Tokelau's sustainable development. The people of Tokelau believe that getting online has and will continue to benefit them, ensuring that they are no longer isolated and that they can provide better care and education for their children.

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