[council] NTIA Announces Intent to Transition Key Internet Domain Name Functions

[Bruce Tonkin <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2014/ntia-announces-intent-transition-key-internet-domain-name-functions


WASHINGTON - To support and enhance the multistakeholder model of Internet 
policymaking and governance, the U.S. Commerce Department's National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announces its 
intent to transition key Internet domain name functions to the global 
multistakeholder community.  As the first step, NTIA is asking the Internet 
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to convene global 
stakeholders to develop a proposal to transition the current role played by 
NTIA in the coordination of the Internet's domain name system (DNS). 

NTIA's responsibility includes the procedural role of administering changes to 
the authoritative root zone file - the database containing the lists of names 
and addresses of all top-level domains - as well as serving as the historic 
steward of the DNS.  NTIA currently contracts with ICANN to carry out the 
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions and has a Cooperative 
Agreement with Verisign under which it performs related root zone management 
functions.  Transitioning NTIA out of its role marks the final phase of the 
privatization of the DNS as outlined by the U.S. Government in 1997.

"The timing is right to start the transition process," said Assistant Secretary 
of Commerce for Communications and Information Lawrence E. Strickling.  "We 
look forward to ICANN convening stakeholders across the global Internet 
community to craft an appropriate transition plan."

ICANN is uniquely positioned, as both the current IANA functions contractor and 
the global coordinator for the DNS, as the appropriate party to convene the 
multistakeholder process to develop the transition plan.  NTIA has informed 
ICANN that it expects that in the development of the proposal, ICANN will work 
collaboratively with the directly affected parties, including the Internet 
Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), the 
Internet Society (ISOC), the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), top level 
domain name operators, VeriSign, and other interested global stakeholders.

NTIA has communicated to ICANN that the transition proposal must have broad 
community support and address the following four principles:

. Support and enhance the multistakeholder model;

. Maintain the security, stability, and resiliency of the Internet DNS;

. Meet the needs and expectation of the global customers and partners of the 
IANA services; and,

. Maintain the openness of the Internet.

Consistent with the clear policy expressed in bipartisan resolutions of the 
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives (S.Con.Res.50 and H.Con.Res.127), 
which affirmed the United States support for the multistakeholder model of 
Internet governance, NTIA will not accept a proposal that replaces the NTIA 
role with a government-led or an inter-governmental organization solution.     

>From the inception of ICANN, the U.S. Government and Internet stakeholders 
>envisioned that the U.S. role in the IANA functions would be temporary.  The 
>Commerce Department's June 10, 1998 Statement of Policy stated that the U.S. 
>Government "is committed to a transition that will allow the private sector to 
>take leadership for DNS management."  ICANN as an organization has matured and 
>taken steps in recent years to improve its accountability and transparency and 
>its technical competence.  At the same time, international support continues 
>to grow for the multistakeholder model of Internet governance as evidenced by 
>the continued success of the Internet Governance Forum and the resilient 
>stewardship of the various Internet institutions.

While stakeholders work through the ICANN-convened process to develop a 
transition proposal, NTIA's current role will remain unchanged.  The current 
IANA functions contract expires September 30, 2015.

For further information see: IANA Functions and Related Root Zone Management 
Transition Questions and Answers 

https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/qa_-_iana-for_web_eop.docx


About NTIA

NTIA is the Executive Branch agency that advises the President on 
telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA's programs and 
policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption 
in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, and ensuring that the 
Internet remains an engine for continued innovation and economic growth. To 
find out more about NTIA, visit www.ntia.doc.gov.