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Magaziner Tries to Calm Europe on Domain Plan

Wired News Report

US Internet czar Ira Magaziner is trying to soothe European concern
that a Clinton administration proposal for revamping the Internet
domain name system will continue US domination of how the Net is run.
In France to discuss the US plan with French officials, Magaziner told
reporters Thursday that an independent agency and board that would be
set up under the proposal to supervise the domain system would be
global in nature.

"We want to make the composition of that board truly international," he
said, adding that various Internet management agencies around the world
and interest groups of Internet users could name representatives to the
board of about 15 members.

Magaziner added, though, that he thinks the new organization, which he
said could be up and running by next autumn, should be based in the
United States since the global computer network had its roots there.

"It makes sense to set up the organization there," he said.

The US proposal steps on a plan launched last year by a combination of
Net technical experts, telecommunications companies, and other business
interests to create seven new generic top-level domains to supplement
.com, .net, .org, and others. The International Ad Hoc Committee set up
the Swiss-based Council of Registrars to supplant Network Solutions
Inc., whose exclusive domain administration contract with the US
government expires this year.

Pre-emption of the council - under the US plan, it would get to
administer one new top-level domain instead of the planned seven - has
ruffled feathers in Europe. US officials, joined by some business
interests and firms trying to set up their own domain-name operations,
have opposed the council's systems on grounds ranging from its alleged
lack of technical sophistication to the fact it established a
quasi-official entity with no direct accountability to individual
governments or other parties.

Magaziner said the United States is against setting up a system that
relies on multilateral organizations such as the United Nations'
International Telecommunications Union, with which the council has
close links.

"We don't believe the Internet should be given over to an
intergovernmental organization," he said.