IANA functions
The United States Departmentof Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) remains committed to preserving a stable and secure Internet Domain Name System (DNS). Critical to the DNS is the continued performance of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions. The IANA functions have historically included: (1) The coordination of the assignment of technical Internet protocol parameters; (2) the administration of certain responsibilities associated with 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. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) performed the IANA functions, on behalf of the United States Government, through a contract with NTIA.
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Testimony of Assistant Secretary Strickling before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on “Preserving the Multistakeholder Model of Internet Governance”
Testimony of
The Honorable Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
United States Department of Commerce
Before the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
United States Senate
Hearing entitled
Stakeholders Continue Historic Work on Internet DNS Transition at ICANN Singapore Meeting
Last week, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) held its 52nd meeting in Singapore, where the global multistakeholder community continued progress on a proposal to transition the United States role related to the Internet Domain Name System.
I was pleased to see the amount of energy and professionalism exhibited by the nearly 1800 participants at the ICANN meeting. The Internet’s stakeholders are driving this transition and are demonstrating that businesses, technical experts, and civil society groups are best equipped to set the future direction of the Internet. Under this multistakeholder model, no one party can control the Internet or impose its will. And that’s what’s enabled the Internet to flourish and evolve into this global medium that has torn down barriers to free speech and fueled economic growth and innovation.
It is so important that we get this transition right. If it doesn’t take place, we will embolden authoritarian regimes to seek greater government control of the Internet or to threaten to fragment the Internet, which would result in a global patchwork of regulations and rules that stifle the free flow of information.
First Quarterly Report on the Transition of the Stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions
The attached report provides background on the Internet domain name system (DNS) and NTIA’s role, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, NTIA’s call for a transition proposal, status of the multi-stakeholder community’s efforts in response, and next steps. The report covers activities through January 31, 2015. NTIA will update this report on a quarterly basis.