Reston, VA and Geneva, Switzerland - 29th September 2006 - ISOC
welcomes the agreement announced today between the United States
Department of Commerce (USDoC) and the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The agreement ensures continued
stability of the Internet by setting the foundation for an orderly
transition of the Domain Name System (DNS) to the private sector. It
also demonstrates clear support for ICANN and the role it plays in
coordinating those activities related to the Internet's system of
unique identifiers.
The agreement moves beyond the milestone-driven "oversight" model to
one in which ICANN has greater flexibility and the United States
Government takes a more discrete role, echoing ISOC's recommendations
during the USDoC NTIA's recent public hearing on the transition of the
DNS.
"This is a constructive step in the direction of private sector
management of the DNS," said ISOC's President and CEO Lynn
St.Amour. "We believe this agreement contributes to the continued
stability of the Internet while allowing for additional operational
freedom for ICANN. The new agreement is also a positive indication
that the US Government is truly supportive of moving the management of
the DNS to a private sector model and we are very pleased to see
this. And of course, we believe ICANN is ready for this next step."
As its dramatic growth continues, the Internet will be faced by new
and more complex challenges. The Internet Society is working to ensure
that the Internet's successful and unique self-regulation models
continue to evolve in such a way that people everywhere can
participate in its development as well as continue to benefit from
open access to this "network of networks". Today's announcement
supports this evolution by further legitimizing the processes that
determine how the Internet works.
ISOC's statement at the NTIA's public hearing on the transition of the DNS
is available here:
http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/ISOC_NTIA_statement_060726.pdf
ISOC's response to the NTIA's Notice of Inquiry is available here:
http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/ISOC_NTIA_response_060707.pdf
ABOUT ISOC
The Internet Society is a not-for-profit membership organization
founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards,
education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva,
Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development,
evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout
the world. ISOC is the organizational home of the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF) and other Internet-related bodies who together play
a critical role in ensuring that the Internet develops in a stable and
open manner. For over 14 years ISOC has run international network
training programs for developing countries and these have played a
vital role in setting up the Internet connections and networks in
virtually every country connecting to the Internet during this time.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Peter Godwin
Communications Manager, Internet Society
E-mail: godwin@isoc.org
4, rue des Falaises
1205 Geneva
Switzerland
Peter Godwin (godwin@isoc.org)