1. The Future of ccTLDs Jia-Lu Cheng Goldsmiths College,UOL Cup01jlc@yahoo.com 2003/08/25

2. 1 Overview What is The Internet? Domain Name System ccTLDs DNS Governance ccNSO The Future of ccTLDs

3. 2 What is the Internet? According to U.S. Federal Networking Council (FNC), "Internet" refers to the global information system that -- (i) is logically linked together by a globally unique address space based on the Internet Protocol (IP) or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons; (ii) is able to support communications using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite or its subsequent extensions/follow-ons, and/or other IP- compatible protocols; and (iii) provides, uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high level services layered on the communications and related infrastructure described herein.

4. 3 Domain Name System Importance A set of distributed databases containing domain name and their corresponding IP address. From purely technical point of view, domain name system is not a crucial pivot in the development of Internet, and Internet still can work even without DNS. However, for some historical reasons, today, if domain name servers crashed suddenly, then most of communication via Internet will be impossible.

5. 4 Domain Name System Importance (cont.) Robert Kahn has vividly drawn a parallel between horseshoe and domain name system, he said that "right now, we're traveling on the horseback called the DNS system. That's the first thing out of the gate; it's what everybody uses, and it will be with us for quite a while." Cited from the Hearing Record of Subcommittee on Basic Research, U.S. House of Representatives, which was held on March 23, 1998. Robert Kahn is president and CED of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, U.S.

6. 5 Domain Name System Features: ■ Universal address system ■ Uniqueness of the name of Domain ■ Tree-like hierarchical system gTLD & ccTLD RFC 920 – Domain Requirement (Oct. 1984) Using the name of categories of different aggregations of similar organizations and "free of undesirable semantics."

7. 6 Percentage of the world's domains in the top twenty-five counties Source: Zook (2000) 'Internet Metrics: Using Host and Domain Name Counts to Map the Internet', Telecommunications Policy 24:613-20.

8. 7 ccTLDs Comparing to other TLDs, ccTLD is not a result of deliberative consideration or discussion. On the contrast, they were an afterthought, According to Postel: the country code TLDs were pretty much an afterthought to a different process of coming up with the original generic TLDs. A comment was made that some people might want to have names specific to their own country, and it was pointed out that a convenient list of country codes existed (ISO 3166). Cited from Mueller (1998:93), 'The Battle over Internet Domain Names: Global or National TLDs', Telecommunication Policy 22(2):89-107.

9. 8 ccTLDs Importance The importance of ccTLD is not because it is used in the Internet as the country code top-level domain identifier, but it decides which country or geographical territory can have its own TLD. In sort, it decides which territory can be appeared in cyberspace. According to The IANA's policy, a new ccTLD is able to be created only when it is listed on the ISO 3166-1 list.

10. 9 ccTLDs Number of ccTLDs Created Per Year

11. 10 ccTLDs Number of Inactive ccTLDs According to WIPO Ecommerce ccTLD Database, in 243 ccTLDs, 114 have made available a registration agreement (46.9%); 119 have a WHOIS service (48.9%); and 56 (23%) have adopted an ADR procedure. For 40 ccTLDs, no web site is indicated in the IANA database and for 9 ccTLDs the site is not accessible. In other words, 49 ccTLDs (20.1%) do not have a web presence.

12. 11 ccTLDs The Growth of Number and Percentage of Internet Host

13. 12 The Growth rate of Internet Host ccTLDs

14. 13 DNS Governance ccTLDs in Pre ICANN Era Operated mostly by volunteer (often academic researchers, and delegated by Dr. Postel), and in a kind of anarchism. Guiding Principle RFC 920 – Domain Requirement (Oct. 1984) RFC 1083 - IAB Official Protocol Standards (Dec. 1988 ) –Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) RFC 1591 - Domain Name System Structure and Delegation (Mar. 1994) IANA CCTLD News Memo #1 (23 October 1997)

15. 14 DNS Governance Creation of ICANN 30 January 1998, U.S. DoC's "A Proposal to Improve Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses - Discussion Draft" (Green Paper) 6 November 1998: ICANN Original Bylaw published. 1999 - ICANN begins to organize the many components specified in the White Paper

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17. 16 DNS Governance ccTLDs in ICANN Era Toward to the way of institutionalization Policy ICP-1: Internet Domain Name System Structure and Delegation (May 1999) GAC's "Principles for Delegation and Administration of ccTLDs" (23 February 2000) Model MoUs and Agreements –ICANN-ccTLD Manager Memorandum of Understanding —Legacy Situation (initial version, 2 Sep. 2001) –ccTLD Sponsorship Agreement—Triangular Situation (initial version, 2 Sep.2001)

18. 17 DNS Governance ccTLDs in ICANN Era (cont.) ccTLD Constituency One of the initial constituencies of the DNSO Members of the ccTLD Constituency are those recorded managers of each ccTLD Registry Interim Donations (ICANN’s Task Force on Funding proposed to impose on ccTLDs an obligation to provide 35% of the ICANN budget) Officially withdrawing from the DNSO on 29 Oct. 2002

19. 18 DNS Governance ICANN 2.0 Initiated by President's Report: ICANN - The Case for Reform (23 February 2002)  WHY THE CURRENT COURSE WON'T WORK Lack of full participation by Critical Entities –ccTLDs, Root Name Server Operators, Address Registries, Major Users, ISPs and Backbone Providers, National Governments Overburdened by process –At expense of effectiveness –Government-like layers of process Without government legitimacy, resources –Too many distractions Inadequate, unreliable, US-centric funding Not seen as credible by key stakeholders –Instead: A (loud) debating society  A NEW KIND OF PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

20. 19 DNS Governance ICANN 2.0 The Committee on ICANN Evolution and Reform (ERC) was established on on 14 March 2002 ERC's Final Implementation Report and Recommendations was posted on 2 October 2002 "New Bylaws" as a result of ERC was published on 15 December 2002

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22. 21 ccNSO 13 September 2002, ERC's "Third Status Report: Formation of ccNSO Assistance Group. " (9 ccTLD managers, 2 GAC, 6 other communities ) 22 April 2003, Fifth Supplemental Implementation Report (ERC Recommendations on ccNSO) 16 May 2003, GAC Opinion on the Committee on ICANN Evolution and Reform Recommendations on the Country- codes Names Supporting Organisation 18 June 200, ERC's "ccNSO Formation: Proposed Revisions to the Bylaws" 26 June 2003, ICANN Board adopted the amendments to the bylaws 9 July 2003, ccNSO Launching Group - Call for Expressions of Interest

23. 22 ccNSO Core Responsibilities Developing and recommending to the Board global policies relating to country-code top- level domains; Nurturing consensus across the ccNSO's community, including the name-related activities of ccTLDs; and Coordinating with other ICANN Supporting Organizations, committees, and constituencies under ICANN.

24. 23 ccNSO MEMBERSHIP Any ccTLD manager that meets the membership qualifications shall be entitled to be members of the ccNSO. Membership qualifications: recognizing the role of the ccNSO within the ICANN structure, and agreeing, for the duration of its membership in the ccNSO, (a) to adhere to rules of the ccNSO, including membership rules, (b) to adhere to ICANN bylaws as they apply to ccTLDs, and (c) to pay ccNSO membership fees.

25. 24 ccNSO Council Role: a.Administering and coordinating the affairs of ccNSO b.Managing the development of policy recommendations Consist of: a.Three Council members selected by the ccNSO members within each ICANN’s Geographic Regions (Europe; Asia/Australia/Pacific; Latin America/Caribbean islands; Africa; and North America ) b.Three Council members selected the ICANN Nominating Committee c.Liaisons – GAC (Martin Boyle, UK), ALAC, each of the Regional Orgnizations d.Observer - several from other SO

26. 25 The Future of ccTLDs All of stories are just on the road.