National Telecommunications and Information Administration has awarded the contract to run IANA to ICANN. The contract comes with three-year term and two possible renewal options, two years each. With this contract, ICANN will be able to retain its power over root zone and IP address space.
IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) is a not-for-profit entity that controls IP address space, as well as Internet protocols. Running IANA is subject to a contract with NTIA. Since 1999, IANA is a division of ICANN, with ICANN signing its first contract with NTIA in 2000.
By the end of 2011, NTIA has announced that the contract is up for rebid, and ICANN's bid was deemed unsatisfactory in March 2011, stating that no bids that correspond to the requirements of the global community were received.
The contract will allow ICANN to retain its power over root zone and IP address allocation. Akram Atallah, ICANN's interim CEO says the contract is awarded for an unprecedented period of time.
"This is the longest IANA functions contract we’ve ever had, running for a period of three years with two 2-year renewal options", Atallah said.
The contract was signed by Rod Beckstrom on the last day of his term, July 1, and is effective October 1, 2012. The previous contract between ICANN and NTIA ends on September 30, 2012.
