News and Publications

Washington - Commerce Secretary William M. Daley today announced that the Department of Commerce, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI) have reached a series of agreements that will allow transition of the domain name system to the private sector to move forward.

The Department of Commerce, ICANN, and VeriSign have agreed in principle on the following additional terms to be included in the ICANN and VeriSign Registry Agreements and related agreements, subject to final legal documentation. All other terms of the Agreements remain unchanged.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke addressed leading privacy and consumer advocates, privacy scholars and Internet entrepreneurs at the Privacy and Innovation Symposium today at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. At the public meeting sponsored by the Department of Commerce, Locke discussed the challenge of ensuring that the Internet continues to grow as a platform for innovation and commerce in the United States and around the world while at the same time protecting personal privacy.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force today issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comment from all interested stakeholders - including rights holders, Internet service providers, and consumers - on the protection of copyrighted works online and the relationship between copyright law and innovation in the Internet economy. 

The U.S.

Remarks

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the official launch of an initiative aimed at preserving the global, free flow of information online to ensure that the Internet remains open for commercial opportunity and innovation. Locke announced the effort during remarks at the 5th annual Online Trust and Cybersecurity Forum hosted by The Online Trust Alliance at Georgetown University.

The U.S. Department of Commerce today hosted a full-day public symposium devoted to protecting the information of consumers and the commercial sector from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The meeting is part of a broader effort to use the internet to foster innovation and economic growth. Organized by the Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force, the event featured senior government and private-sector leaders in a wide-ranging discussion of issues, best practices, and strategies for responding to cyber threats. 

The Department of Commerce today issued a report detailing initial policy recommendations aimed at promoting consumer privacy online while ensuring the Internet remains a platform that spurs innovation, job creation, and economic growth.  The report outlines a dynamic framework to increase protection of consumers’ commercial data and support innovation and evolving technology. The Department is seeking additional public comment on the plan to further the policy discussion and ensure the framework benefits all stakeholders in the Internet economy.

At a public computing center in Baltimore today, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced a digital literacy initiative that works to expand economic and educational opportunities in America. Locke joined U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) and Benjamin L.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today they will host the 12th Annual International Symposium on Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) on July 27-29, 2011 in Boulder, Colorado.  This year’s conference will focus on developing policies and processes to maximize the efficient use of spectrum resources, with particular attention on radar bands and technologies.

Background: Today at a meeting in Paris, France, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries and other stakeholders agreed to a set of principles to guide Internet-related policy-making in member countries. The principles resulting from this multi-stakeholder process are in this communiqué: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/21/48289796.pdf

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration today announced the award of a sole source contract to ICANN to perform technical functions supporting the Internet Domain Name system.

The department on February 21, 2006 issued a Request for Information to conduct market research about whether there were other qualified entities to perform these functions.

New Version of InterNIC Website to be Launched December 1

The following statement can be attributed to Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling:

The Commerce Department today announced it has signed a Joint Project Agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to continue the transition of the coordination of the technical functions relating to the management of the Internet Domain Name and Addressing System to the private sector. It focuses on institutionalizing transparency and accountability mechanisms in the management of the Internet domain name and addressing system.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that establishes a long-lasting framework for the technical coordination of the Internet’s domain name and addressing system (DNS).

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced the appointment of a diverse group of experts from outside the Federal government, including the nonprofit and private sectors, for a two-year term to the Commerce Spectrum Advisory Committee (CSMAC).  Committee members will provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of spectrum policy issues with the goal of strengthening the U.S.

WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today urged businesses to prepare for the transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), an updated Internet addressing system, with the release of a new "IPv6 Readiness Tool."

WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced a nearly $9 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investment to help bridge the technological divide and increase economic opportunities in Illinois. The investment will expand and upgrade public computer centers in locations throughout Chicago and provide technology and job assistance training to residents, with a focus on at-risk youth, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and the unemployed.

WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced a nearly $15 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investment to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, and improve communications for people with disabilities nationwide.