[discuss] NTIA role

Wed Mar 26 15:06:30 UTC 2014

Hi Dominique,
At 04:46 26-03-2014, Dominique Lacroix wrote:
>I think it's very important to know and understand the current
>organization before discussing a transition to a new one.
>At the moment, I saw only a simple table and a list of principles in
>pages 13 & 14
>of the very well done document entitled "IANA Accountability
>presentation" presented at Singapore.
>http://singapore49.icann.org/en/schedule/mon-iana-accountability/presentation-iana-accountability-24mar14-en
>
>USG, supposed to be replaced, is only described by 4 occurences of the
>three letters "USG" in one accountability column.
>I suggest we need more.
>
>Please, some responses to the hereunder question?

[snip]

> > As some remarked the statement was sometimes followed by fuzzy comments
> > and wonderful sandcastles,
> > is there any online document explaining precisely:
> > - the role played by NTIA in general terms,
> > - the concrete operations it includes?
> >
> > The contracts describe precisely Icann and Verisign parts. But what
> > about the other side?

Quoting from ntia.doc.gov:

   "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) 
currently performs
     the IANA functions, on behalf of the United States Government, 
through a contract
     with NTIA."

There was some material from InternetNZ which attempts to explain the 
Functions.  It is possible to cross-check some of the information 
provided to understand how things work at the moment.

The following text was quoted [1] by the NTIA over a year ago:

   "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.
    If you think about that you will do things differently."

That could explain the role.

Regards,
S. Moonesamy

1. Attributed to Warren Buffet 