European Internet Registries Plan to Launch Alternative to ICANN

[regic]

The automation plan will use existing and proven technologies and protocols to depoliticise the root by making it a purely technical matter, Kane said. He added that 23 registries had already agreed to run a test-bed for the new service, which should be up and running by October this year.

ICANN's contract for running the root files (through organisation IANA) ends in March 2006, by which point the world registries hope to have a full report on their alternative, automated process.

full story:

http://www.theregister.com/2005/07/11/centr_root/

[accentnepal]

I can't say I blame the Europeans for not wanting the US to have control of the internet - but what does this mean in terms of domains? Will there be one .com if you are in Europe, another in America? Tons more extensions diluting the market? Every region wanting it's own internet?

Bush (or those below him, I doubt he personally knows much about this) has acted with arrogance and may have done great damage to the internet, breaking it into competing sections. International communication of ideas without boundaries could be at risk here. Or is this a technical issue of where the root servers are located with little or no effect on end use?