WASHINGTON, DC, October 22, 1996 -- In a move to resolve controversy surrounding proposals for enhancements to the Internet Domain Name System, the Internet Society today announced the formation of an international ad hoc committee (IAHC).

"The IAHC will undertake defining, investigating, and resolving issues resulting from current international debate over a proposal to establish global registries and additional international Top Level Domain names (iTLDs)," according to Don Heath, president and CEO of the Internet Society.

The proposal, originally written by Jon Postel, long-time head of the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA), would add up to 150 new iTLDs to allow more descriptive names while reducing the load that is primarily borne by the ".com" international Top Level Domain. IANA is the central coordinator for the assignment of unique parameter values such as internet addresses, domain names, protocol numbers, and port numbers, for Internet protocols.

The Internet Society (ISOC) board of trustees voted to accept the IANA proposal prior to its annual meeting, INET'96, held last June in Montreal. The board added the proviso that the proposal be fleshed out to include details of implementation and business aspects.

Since the qualified adoption of the IANA proposal by ISOC, "there has been considerable international debate on various aspects of the proposal, with no consensus," Heath said. "Additional important issues have surfaced and it is in the best interest of the continued beneficial evolution of the Internet that these issues be aired and resolved," he added. A centralized electronic forum will be employed to facilitate and support the process.

William L. Schrader, President, CEO and Chairman of PSINet, a leading Internet Service Provider with aggressive international plans stated, "The initiative by ISOC is a bold move in asserting its role in the leadership of issues key to the future of commerce on the Internet as well as in defining and resolving important governance issues internationally. We strongly support and urge this kind of action by ISOC."

The IAHC will be composed of representatives of the large international Internet community. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the International Trademark Association (INTA) will designate one each. ISOC, IANA, and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) will each appoint two members for a total of nine.

"The IAHC members appointed by ISOC, IANA, and IAB may come from anywhere within the worldwide Internet community and not necessarily from their respective groups," said Heath. Members of the IAHC are expected to be named within the next week.

"We are very pleased that ITU, WIPO, and INTA will be participating in this deliberative process," he said. "The Internet's explosive growth and the commensurate questions that have arisen regarding Internet governance need to be publicly aired to further understanding and, ultimately, to determine an international resolution. Consideration of the IANA proposal provides a vehicle to investigate those questions as well as the implementation of additional iTLDs and more name registries," Heath continued. Currently, there is one registry, Network Solutions, Inc., to register existing Top Level Domains of ".com," ".net," ".org," and ".edu."

The Internet Society is a non-profit international organization for the coordination and cooperation of entities that influence the evolution of the Internet. It was established "to assure the beneficial, open evolution of the global Internet and its related internetworking technologies through leadership in standards, issues, and education."