The Internet is a driving force behind the dramatic changes in our lives, but there are still billions of people without access to it, said a seasoned Internet expert in a recent interview.

The Internet has become a boundless platform for global innovation and economic growth that is having a positive impact on the world, said Lynn St. Amour, former president and chief executive officer of the Internet Society, a non-profit group promoting an open and transparent Internet.

"Today more than 2.5 billion people are online," she told Xinhua in a written interview. "However, we must not forget the billions of people who still have little or no Internet access."

She warned that one of the greatest challenges is to make sure no one is left behind, while access is improving through investment in physical infrastructure, cheaper and more portable devices. "We still have a long way to go."

St. Amour, who served as the organization's CEO for nearly 13 years, made the comments before heading for an annual meeting of the World Economic Forum to be held in the resort town of Davos in Switzerland on Jan. 22-25, under the theme "The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business."

Asked about the inherent connection between reshaping and reform, St. Amour said that any reform should not get in the way of the few, simple principles guiding the Internet that have not changed over time.

"These include an inclusive, transparent, multi-stakeholder governance model; a globally distributed and participatory responsibility for technical and administrative functions; and an architecture that facilitates permission-less innovation, where the power of creativity and the freedom of choice are placed in the hands of users," she said.

"We need to ensure that reforms don't hinder the core principles that have contributed to the Internet's success. If they do, the Internet innovations that have reshaped our world will be threatened," she said.

Instead, evolutionary changes in this distributed and heavily interwoven ecosystem will be the most stable and sustainable, she said.

The expert said China is undoubtedly experiencing the same kind of transformation as the rest of the developed world, brought about by technological advances, and the benefits of such transformation -- from spreading important knowledge to enabling new economies -- are invaluable to progress in the whole world.

"We believe the key to this progress is an open, global Internet that is governed through multi-stakeholder cooperation that recognizes that various stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, the academic and technical communities, and of course governments, all have responsibilities, expertise and valuable know-how in determining how the Internet will evolve," St. Amour said.

"As these transformations continue in China and elsewhere, we all stand to benefit," she said. "That is the legacy of an open, global Internet." (This article is part of Xinhua's integrated coverage on the 2014 World Economic Forum, "Eyes on Davos: A Chinese Perspective."