http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/domnam/TWB19980429S0005
Final Domain Name Plan Is Expected In Two Weeks
(04/29/98; 12:38 p.m. ET)
By Mo Krochmal, TechWeb
NEW YORK -- Ira Magaziner, White House
senior policy adviser and Internet point man, said
Wednesday that he expects a final paper on the
Internet domain names registry to be released
within two weeks.
"Once it's issued, we'll move on with it," said
Magaziner Wednesday at the Interent and
Electronic Commerce Conference here in New
York.
The initial plan, known as the "green paper," calls
for a private, nonprofit corporation to control the
entire Internet domain name system. The
corporation would have the power to appoint up to
five independent organizations to be registries,
each of which could administer just one new
top-level domain.
The White House has been soliciting comments
on the green paper since it was released in late
January.
"We've met with dozens of groups and had good
discussions with the European Union," Magaziner
said. "We're bridging the gaps, and there'll be
some modifications based on the comments
we've received," he said. "Now we'll move on."
A plan to move Internet domain name registration
to the private sector was not in place by the time
the National Science Foundation's contract with
Network Solutions, based in Herndon, Va., expired
March 31.
The contract was extended for six months, but
time is running out, Magaziner said. A new
nonprofit group must be started so it can get up to
speed quickly, he said.
"The modifications will be speaking to the
preponderance of comments that have been
made," he said.
As in domain name registration, the government
needs to keep a hands-off approach to
e-commerce and let private industry be the
leader, Magaziner said.
As for Microsoft, Magaziner said he could not
comment. He added, however, "The mere
existence of high market share should not be
evident of a problem. What is a problem is if high
market share is used as predatory behavior to
stifle comepetition."