.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA), the manager of Australia’s “.au” Internet domain space, welcomes the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) recent decision to transition key Internet management functions to the global multi-stakeholder community.
Since its establishment in 1999, auDA has been an active participant within this community, and a supporter of the global manager of the Internet’s domain name system (DNS), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
“auDA welcomes the NTIA’s announcement and, in particular, a number of key messages within it”, said auDA CEO and ICANN Board Director, Chris Disspain.
“Firstly, auDA agrees that ICANN is ideally positioned to assume responsibility for coordinating the transition process. We also support NTIA’s stipulation that current arrangements will not be replaced by a government-led or intergovernmental solution. We also agree that broad community engagement is required in developing a transition plan and support the key principles of openness, multi-stakerholderism, security and stability, and customer-focus stipulated by NTIA.”
Most importantly, auDA notes the NTIA’s announcement will not affect the security, stability and functionality of .au.
auDA also notes that NTIA’s action will cause no instability to current operational arrangements for the management of key Internet naming resources globally.
“NTIA’s announcement is not a surprise, but rather a welcome conclusion to a transition process commenced by the U.S. Government in 1997”, said Mr Disspain.
“Many of us have worked extremely hard over the last 15 years to develop an open, responsive and reliable governance environment. auDA looks forward to working with all stakeholders, including the Australian Government, to realise a model that will reflect the interests and needs of all Internet users, especially those in Australia”.
-- end --
auDA (.au Domain Administration Ltd) manages the .au domain space under a non-profit, industry self-regulatory model, for the benefit of all Australian Internet users.
Through consultation with industry stakeholders, auDA develops and implements domain name policies for .au. auDA also coordinates .au’s operational frameworks, licenses registry operators and registrars, implements consumer safeguards and facilitates dispute resolution.
auDA plays an active role within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and other international fora. It represents the interests of .au stakeholders at the global level.
www.auda.org.au
@auda
