[council] Questions for a Working Group on competing roots

["Milton Mueller" <Mueller@syr.edu>]

The Role of Competition and Market
Forces in the Management of the DNS Root

Points for a WG to explore:

1. What is a technically precise definition of an "alternate root server
system"?

    Does it include CN-NIC and other supporters of
    internationalized domain name standards?

    Does it include New.net?

    Does it include efforts to use DNS to perform
        specialized functions for which DNS was not
        originally designed?

    Does it include any other private name spaces?

2. Should the assignment of TLD strings in the ICANN
root avoid collisions with prior assignments in
alternate root server systems?
    The precedent of .WEB: avoid collision
    The predecent of .BIZ: ignore collision
    Implications of either choice for
                Consumers of domain names
                Internet-using public
                Internet service providers
                Registrars and registries

3. To what extent is ICANN encouraging the formation of
competing roots by artificially restricting the supply of TLDs?

4. Are there techniques available to make alternate
name spaces interoperate with the ICANN-rooted DNS
short of listing their TLDs in the ICANN root?

5. Can the performance, stability and service
innovation in the supply of Internet infrastructure
be enhanced by encouraging a greater role for market
forces, or a more distributed structure, in the
operation, placement, and coordination of root servers?

6. Would the technical progress of the Internet
infrastructure be enhanced or undermined by ICANN
policies that encourage interoperation and compatibility among different
root server systems?