Commerce Dept questions net plans

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Proposals made by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to shake up the system of internet addresses have been questioned by the US Department of Commerce.There are currently 21 so-called gTLDs (Generic Top Level Domains), including .com, .org, .net and .gov, but ICANN submitted proposals last summer for the addition of an unlimited number of new gTLDs, claiming this would increase competition and lower costs.  In a letter sent before Christmas, however, Commerce Department official Meredith Baker questioned ICANNÔÇÖs proposal to offer up to 800 new addresses for sale at $185,000 per domain, with a yearly cost of $60,000, saying that the organization needed to "articulate a clear rationale for the proposed fee structure."   She also called on the net body to supply evidence that the changes would "not compromise the stability or security of the DNS (Domain Name System)."   Another Department of Commerce official, Deborah Garza, also questioned the plan in a separate letter. "The DOC is unconvinced that new gTLDs will alter the preference for .com domains, and fears that a huge number of new gTLDs will simply force companies to register them in order to maintain and redirect appropriate traffic".   The US government is still nominally in charge of ICANN, despite calls from the net body for administrative freedom.    *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *