The debate over the future of the Internet domain-name system has officially entered its "what next?" phase.
An upcoming "constitutional convention" on how to revamp domain-name administration, along with a congressional hearing on the Clinton administration's new policy on the system, highlight the lack of certainty surrounding the Net addressing system.
The so-called white paper, released Friday, defers action on some of the key domain-name questions until a new nonprofit, global agency is formed later this year to address the issues. The questions include how competition will be introduced into the business of registering domain names and operating the the worldwide system, as well as how and when generic top-level domains will be introduced to supplement .com, .net, and .org.
House Commerce Committee chairman Tom Bliley (R-Virginia) said during the Wednesday hearing that the new policy "properly leaves many of the important decisions to the private sector." But he added that he was concerned at what he termed the slow pace of developing the policy and getting it rolling.
Ken Stubbs, chairman of the Internet Council of Registrars, raised another concern: that the government hasn't really stepped out of the picture at all.
"If you read between the white paper’s lines, it’s apparent the US government is reserving the right to approve or not approve" the transference of domain-name registration authority, Stubbs said.
That's an especially important point for the Council of Registrars, created last year as part of an international effort to start up a new global system of domain registration and administration. In addition to making the domain-name system competitive, the council's system would introduce seven generic top-level domains. Under the US policy, the council would be one among many entities that can seek the right to run new top-level domains and register names.
The US policy would require the as-yet unnamed domain agency, to be run by a 15-member board that includes representatives from the business and technical sectors and the Net community, to be operating by 1 October.
That's the day after Network Solutions Inc. (NSOL) loses its exclusive government contract to sign up names for the .com, .net, and .org domains.
Network Solutions, which appears likely to keep a hold on that role until the deadline for a new system in October 2000, is playing an active role in preparing for the new order of things. The company is playing a central, though low-profile, role in organizing what is being touted as a domain-name "constitutional convention" beginning 1 July in suburban Washington. A similar gathering last year fizzled.
The Associated Press reported today the meeting's Web site was registered by a Network Solutions employee and that the company had been handling publicity for the event until Wednesday. A company spokeswoman told AP that the company is playing only a support role in the event.
Wired News correspondent Heidi Kriz contributed to this report.
