ICANN Begins Search for .net Operator

By theWHIR.com , October 26, 2004
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October 26, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- According to reports, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (icann.org), the body that governs the Internet's addressing system, will begin the process of deciding which company will be responsible for running the .net domain.

VeriSign (verisign.com) currently operates the .net registry. In 2001, the company agreed to give up control of .net in exchange for a contract that would give it a close to permanent control over the more lucrative .com domain, which has over 30 million registered addresses.

VeriSign is allowed to bid to maintain control over the .net registry, although the deal signed in 2001 does not give the company preferential treatment. Reports say that VeriSign is warning lawmakers, high-tech companies and the media that choosing the wrong successor could be disastrous. Analysts have dismissed the warnings as fear mongering on the part of VeriSign in an effort to prevent change.

Some companies however, are concerned given the large volume of traffic that runs through the .net domain. According to reports, companies such as IBM, Sun and MCI have written letters to ICANN asking it to tread carefully on the matter or consider letting VeriSign maintain control. Roughly 30 percent of all e-commerce traffic and more than 150 billion email messages a year travel through .net, which is also home to 4.9 million registered Internet addresses, according to VeriSign.

The .net domain was originally intended for tech enthusiasts and developers who operate Web sites and email networks. But over the years, .net has evolved into a second choice for people who are unable to get the .com addresses they desire.