US rejects UN telecom treaty over Internet rift

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States (US) is refusing to sign a telecom treaty at a United Nations (UN) gathering in Dubai because it opens the door to governmental regulation of the Internet, the US delegation chief said on Thursday.

"The US today announced it cannot sign (the treaty regulations) in their current form," Terry Kramer, head of the US delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommunications, said in a teleconference from Dubai.

"The US has consistently believed and continues to believe that the (UN treaty) should not extend to Internet governance or content," Mr Kramer added.

Mr Kramer said a formal vote at the Dubai gathering was not expected until Friday but that the proposal on the floor in Dubai, where representatives from 193 nations have been meeting since Dec 3, was unlikely to change.