EU says internet could fall apart

Iria · Oct 13, 2005, 10:21 PM

A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control.

The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart.

At issue is the role of the US government in overseeing the internet's address structure, called the domain name system (DNS), which enables communication between the world's computers. It is managed by the California-based, not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) under contract to the US department of commerce.

A meeting of officials in Geneva last month was meant to formulate a way of sharing internet governance which politicians could unveil at the UN-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis on November 16-18. A European Union plan that goes a long way to meeting the demands of developing countries to make the governance more open collapsed in the face of US opposition.

Viviane Reding, European IT commissioner, says that if a multilateral approach cannot be agreed, countries such as China, Russia, Brazil and some Arab states could start operating their own versions of the internet and the ubiquity that has made it such a success will disappear.
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Read More / Source: Guardian Unlimited

Sandok · Oct 13, 2005, 10:33 PM

Free internet!!!

Matth · Oct 14, 2005, 03:11 PM

Alternate DNS's have been around for some time - the way the current administration dragged their feet over new top levels pretty well guaranteed it!

What would be a major blow, is if administration of IP addresses broke down, as while it is practical to have local DNS names co-existing with the more limited scheme of the "official" system, IP addresses be treated in the same cavalier fashion.

Oct 13, 2005, 10:21 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	EU says internet could fall apart A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control. The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart. At issue is the role of the US government in overseeing the internet's address structure, called the domain name system (DNS), which enables communication between the world's computers. It is managed by the California-based, not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) under contract to the US department of commerce. A meeting of officials in Geneva last month was meant to formulate a way of sharing internet governance which politicians could unveil at the UN-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis on November 16-18. A European Union plan that goes a long way to meeting the demands of developing countries to make the governance more open collapsed in the face of US opposition. Viviane Reding, European IT commissioner, says that if a multilateral approach cannot be agreed, countries such as China, Russia, Brazil and some Arab states could start operating their own versions of the internet and the ubiquity that has made it such a success will disappear. ___________ Read More / Source: Guardian Unlimited

Oct 13, 2005, 10:33 PM	#2
Sandok DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 9,472 Rep Power: 0	Free internet!!!

Oct 14, 2005, 03:11 PM	#3
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	Alternate DNS's have been around for some time - the way the current administration dragged their feet over new top levels pretty well guaranteed it! What would be a major blow, is if administration of IP addresses broke down, as while it is practical to have local DNS names co-existing with the more limited scheme of the "official" system, IP addresses be treated in the same cavalier fashion.