Bipartisan committee leadership letter regarding Internet domain name governance.

October 5, 2005

Ambassador David A. Gross
U.S. Coordinator for International Communication and Information Policy
U.S. Department of State
EB/CIP
Room 4826
2201 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20520-5820

The Honorable Michael D. Gallagher
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
U.S. Department of Commerce
Room 4898
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230

Dear Ambassador Gross and Assistant Secretary Gallagher:

We are writing in support of the United States position on Internet governance as the United States delegation heads to Geneva for the Preparatory Committee for the United Nation's World Summit on the Information Society.

Consistent with market-based polices and the belief that private sector leadership has allowed the Internet the flexibility to innovate and evolve, we believe in the continued growth of the Internet and the variety of applications it supports. Given the Internet's importance to the world's economy, it is essential that the underlying domain name system of the Internet remains stable and secure. As such, the United States should take no action that would have the potential to adversely impact the effective and efficient operation of the domain name system. Therefore, the United States should maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the appropriate technical coordinator of the Internet domain name system. While improvements continue to be made to the ICANN model, the Bush Administration, and specifically the Department of Commerce, should continue to maintain strong oversight so that ICANN maintains its focus and meets it core technical mission.

Governments have legitimate interest in the management of their country code top-level domains. The Administration should continue to work with the international community to address these concerns, bearing in mind the fundamental need to ensure stability and security of the Internet domain name system.

Sincerely,

Joe Barton
Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce

John D. Dingell
 Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce

Fred Upton
Chairman
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet

Edward J. Markey
 Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet

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