Internet Address Arbiter Proposes Transfer of Function to [...]

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which nowcoordinates the Internet's address system, domain names and protocols,has submitted its proposal for future management of Internet names andaddresses to the National Telecommunications and InformationAdministration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In recently submitted written congressional testimony, Jon Postel,Ph.D., a research scientist at the University of Southern California'sInformation Sciences Institute (ISI) who has directed IANA since itsinception, said "this proposal is the result of an extensive processof discussions and negotiations among a large number of interestedpeople and organizations conferences and, most appropriately for thispurpose, extensive use of the Internet with people all over theworld."

IANA has been operating under a U.S. government contract. LastJune, the NTIA issued a white paper calling on private-sector Internetstakeholders to form a not-for-profit corporation to administer policyfor the Internet name and address system.

The new IANA proposal, written in response to this white paper,includes proposed articles of incorporation for a new, nonprofitpublic-benefit corporation to be called the Internet Corporation forAssigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), bylaws for the new organization,and a list of nominations for an interim board to govern it until apermanent board is elected. The new organization, formallyincorporated in California, will not elect a board or adopt bylawsuntil the NTIA has completed reviewing the IANA proposal.

Dr. Postel said IANA will continue to function under its currentgovernment contract until the new organization is formed to take overits duties. Comments on IANA's proposal should be directed by emailto comments@iana.org and will be posted electronically on the IANAwebsite at http://www.iana.org. Thetransmittal letter to NTIA, the proposed articles of incorporation,bylaws and brief bios of the nominated board candidates are alsoposted on the IANA website.

Because he is recovering from surgery, Postel is currentlyunavailable for comment on specifics of the IANA proposal andtransition. While Postel is recuperating, all functions of IANA willcontinue to be carried out reliably by ISI, and in accordance withthe directions of the appropriate authority.

BC.IANA.REPLACE

OCT. 13, 1998