[council] Commerce Department Awards Contract for Management of Key Internet Functions to ICANN

[Bruce Tonkin <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From:   
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2012/commerce-department-awards-contract-management-key-internet-functions-icann


Commerce Department Awards Contract for Management of Key Internet Functions to 
ICANN


July 02, 2012
 

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has awarded the 
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions contract to the Internet 
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).  The IANA functions are key 
technical services critical to the continued operations of the Internet's 
underlying address book, the Domain Name System (DNS).
 
Last year, in anticipation of the contract's expiration, NTIA consulted with 
Internet stakeholders, both domestic and international, on how best to enhance 
the performance of these services.  Based on input from the global community, 
NTIA added new requirements. Those include a clear separation between the 
policy development associated with the IANA services, and implementation by the 
IANA functions contractor; a robust company-wide conflict of interest policy; a 
heightened respect for local national law; and a series of consultation and 
reporting requirements to increase transparency and accountability.
 
The process used over the last year, and the resulting new contract 
requirements, are tailored to ensure respect for the relevant global 
multi-stakeholder policy processes. This is consistent with NTIA's belief that 
the multi-stakeholder model is the most effective way to address Internet 
issues, and further internationalizes the IANA functions.
 
The IANA Functions include: 

(1) the coordination of the assignment of technical Internet protocol 
parameters; 

(2) the administration of certain responsibilities associated with the Internet 
DNS root zone management; 

(3) the allocation of Internet numbering resources; 

and 

(4) other services related to the management of the ARPA and INT top-level 
domains (TLDs). 
 
The current IANA contract expires on September 30, 2012. The period of 
performance for the contract announced today is October 1, 2012 - September 30, 
2015, with two separate two-year option periods for a total contract period of 
seven years.