Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

Internationalization andTechnical Stewardship of the Internet

8 May 2005Cairo, Egypt

Theresa SwinehartGeneral Manager, Global Partnerships

Internet Resources Management:

The Past

THE ARPA NETWORK – SEPTEMBER 1969

The early days of the Internet

• Network set up in the US scientific community• Under R&D contracts to the US government• Administered by the UCLA from Los Angeles• Originally connected 4 universities• Growing slowly into a larger scientific research

network• With increasing decentralisation and• Involving scientists in the whole world• Email was added in 1972, file transfer in 1973

Internet: The Mid 80’s

USENET 1986

Internet: from R&D to commercial

• Increased use of scientific community• Most use in US universities and R&D

institutes• International scientific use has commenced• Domain Names System invented in 1983• First non-scientific use is considered• 1990: first commercial provision of Internet

dial-up access• 1991: www invented in CERN -

Switzerland

Community values

• Ensuring a single, end-to-end interoperable Internet

• Bottom-up technical policy making and decision making

• Participation open to all who wish to do so• Legitimacy determined by open participation and

the value of the contribution to the joint effort, rather than power

• Consensus based decision making, but not full ‘census based’ consensus

• Cooperation, Coordination and Consultation among participants and groups pushing forward initiatives

• Yet, VERY spirited and blunt public debate

The Internet Todayand….

The Challenges

The political world

The telecommunications world

The Internet Today:

• 200,000 interconnected networks• 10,000’s of players from private sector

providing equipment, applications, networks, pipes, services, research

• Academics assisting in research on standards and protocols

• The backbone of the digital economy• A multi-stakeholder platform

From the past …to the future

Small (4 university networks, 100’s users)

Scientific purposeUS basedScientific backboneSingle jurisdictionRegulated relationsA few scientific issuesIndustrialised countries

interest

Huge (today over 200,000 networks, 1 billion users )

Multi-stakeholder purpose Global Global economy backbone Multiple jurisdictions Contractual relations Multi-layered stack of issues Industrialised and developing

countries interest

ICANN and its structure

ICANN: The Basic Challenge

An effective mechanism for technical self-management by the global Internet

community serving a globalized economy

Before ICANN, these stakeholders competed for influence over the Domain Name and IP

Addressing systems

IETF

ETSI

RegistriesISPs

Root Server

OperatorsSecurity

Issues

IAB

FCC

FTC

Registrars

UNDP

ForeignBusiness

US Business

ITU(ITU-T)WIPO

OECD

Intellectual Propertyinterests

Consumers

Developing World

Governments

ccTLD registries

Civil Society Groups

US Military

NATO

NSI/Verisign

Regional Internet

Registries

Universities

OECDgovernments W3C

At-large Advisory Committee

ALAC

Country Code Names Supporting Organisation

ccNSO

Generic Names Supporting Organisation

GNSO

Within ICANN, all stakeholders work collaboratively in the policy structure

Root Server System Advisory Committee

RSSAC

Technical Liaison Group

TLG

Security and Stability Advisory CommitteeSSAC

Address Supporting Organisation

ASO

President/ CEO

Governmental Advisory CommitteeGAC

Board of Directors

What is ICANN responsible for?

• ICANN is responsible for the global technical self-management of the Internet’s unique identifiers

• ICANN is dedicated to:• Preserving the operational stability of the Internet;• To promoting competition;• To achieving broad representation of global Internet

communities;• And to developing policy appropriate to its mission through

bottom-up, consensus-based processes

What ICANN does not do

• Content on the Internet

• Spam

• Financial transactions online

• Consumer Protection Law

• Privacy Law

• Data Protection Law

• Intellectual Property Law

• E-commerce, e-education, e-government, etc.

Stability and security with open architecture

Unique

StableSecure

IP Number

Resources

Protocol and port

parameters

Domain Name

System

Variety of data technologies and

applications

Diverse, distributed

data networks

New protocols

and services

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONS

1. Contribute to stability and security of the unique identifiers

system and root management

2. Promote competition and choice for registrants and other

users

3. Forum for multi-stakeholder bottom-up development of

related policy

4. Ensuring on a global basis an opportunity for participation

by all interested parties

A Closer look at one area of success

• ICANN successful in changing the market structure for the registration of generic TLD’s

• A US$1 billion annual reduction in domain registration fees– Competition in the registrar business

• The market competition for generic domain name (gTLD) registrations established by ICANN has lowered domain name costs by 80%, with savings for both consumers and businesses.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

% of COM/NET

Market

As of Dec 96 As of Dec 99 As of Dec 02 As of Dec 04

Increasing Competition in gTLD MarketplaceRegistrar Market Share

Network Solutions Register.com Tucows GoDaddy eNom BulkRegister Melbourne IT Other

Establishing and fostering competition and choice

Price

Innovative services

Registry functions

Registrarfunctions

Fostering competition through market mechanisms

Increasing choice through registrar competition and new gTLDs

Outreach to and service for all Internet users

How stability and competition is accomplished

Stability and security

Independent bottom-up coordination

Competition and choice

Global stakeholder representation

Developing nation Internet communities

Developed nation Internet communities

Government and inter-government agencies

Stakeholders in the Domain Name System

CoordinationCollaborationCooperation

Business, civil society and academia

Agreed policy

Responsiveprocess

Technical bodies and organisations

Stakeholders in the Domain Name SystemGovernment and inter-government agencies

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

Inter-American Telecommunications Union (CITEL)

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

UN Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

African Telecommunications Union (ATU)

European Union (EU)

Commonwealth Telecommunications Oragnisation

Individual governments are also grappling with how to address new information society issues that cross over many government departments, foreign and domestic policy, cultural distinctions, economic development and similar public policy challenges

Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie

Business, civil society and academia

Stakeholders in the Domain Name System

Business organizations have an inherent interest in contributing to the Internet’s growth and potential

Civil society organizations, from all parts of the world and from all aspects of society, remain committed to the potential of the Internet for the needs of civil society

The academic community, regardless of location, has played and will always play an important role in the Internet

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Forum

Internet Society (ISOC)

Internet Architecture Board (IAB)

Domain name registrars

Regional Internet number Registries (RIRs)

Security and technical experts

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

ENUM Forum

IPv6 Forum

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

Space research agencies

gTLD and ccTLD registries

Internet Service Providers

Technical bodies and organisationsStakeholders in the Domain Name System

International multi-stakeholder representation and participation

• Government Advisory Committee: about 100 governments and 5 + International Treaty Organisations

• At-Large Advisory Committee: 18 At-Large Structures from four global regions

• Board of Directors represents 14 nationalities

• ICANN Staff hail from nine different countries (Australia, Denmark, France, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Niger, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States)

OECD Report continued

• ‘When OECD countries allocate resources they have certain common objectives irrespective of the method chosen. These can include efficient allocation of a resource and efficient use of that resource, transparency in the award of resource, non-discrimination, and the creation of appropriate conditions for market competition. There may also be other wider economic and social objectives. Through statements and actions it is clear that ICANN shares the ideals inherent in these objectives.’

The International Multi-stakeholder Organisation of the 21st Century:

• Transnational• All stakeholders represented

– Including governments with choice of relevant agency or agencies

• Flexible in organisational management• No capture by individuals, groups, or

organisations• Reflective of its own regime.• Focus on effectiveness and relevancy

For more information please seehttp://www.icann.com

Or send an email to Theresa.Swinehart@icann.org