The Clinton administration has finally released their final revision on the plans to unleash competition in the domain name system. The most notable changes from their original release is that the proposal for five new top-level domains (TLDs) will be decided on by a 15 member board (of a non-profit organization), which would manage the domain name system. The administration has yet to reveal how they will choose those board members, but promises that the process will include an effort to keep the online world ‘globally’ focused.
The ‘green papers’ mostly emphasize the competition into the domain registration process, which would produce “more choice in products, innovation, value-added services, speed in getting address, and lower prices,“ claims Becky Burr, associate administrator of the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s office of international affairs. The plans also give the US Government the leeway to ‘step back in’ in the event that the private sector isn’t able to keep the internet stable during or after the transition.