New.net and Multilingual Names Andrew Duff Director of Mktg and Policy, New.net

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New.net and Multilingual Names Andrew Duff
Director of Mktg and Policy, New.net

• December 2001

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Quick detour.
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Why is the multiple roots issue being raised?

• Multilingual name implementations may use
  multiple roots in one form or another
• Why have multiple systems arisen? Many reasons,
  mostly to do with number of domain name
  extensions available.
• Incumbents benefit from maintaining the status
  quo and attacking multiple roots

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Consistency on the Internet

• Consistency does NOT mean de facto a single
  technical root structure
• Co-ordination between multiple systems can
  achieve consistency
• Consistency is currently enforced by ICANN,
  which helps to administer the US Government
  legacy root (all root zone updates go via US
  Government)

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Issues arise through ICANN desire to control

• New.net supports ICANN with less control
  mentality at staff level.
• Control or enforcement have been shown to be
  impossible on the Internet
• ICANN needs to make itself a true international
  co-ordination body if it is to ensure continuing
  global relevance

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New.net has created a system for offering better
domain names

• New.net sells Internet domain names with
  extensions, such as .shop, .travel and .kids,
  that are more descriptive, meaningful and useful
  than traditional domain names
• Easier for sites to describe what they offer
• Easier for consumers to remember
• New.net domain names can be reached by users that
  access the Internet through one of New.nets
  partner ISPs or by using a small client
  application

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How New.net Works

• ISPs enable their entire network of users by
  making a simple modification to the software
  running their name servers
• Routes queries for New.net domain names to
  New.nets root server network
• All other Internet traffic unaffected
• All others can gain access via a client
  application that appends .new.net to queries
  for New.net domain names
• Both solutions supports email, ftp and other
  protocols in addition to Internet browsing

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New.net has released domains in six European
languages

• March 2001 English
• August 2001 Spanish, French, Portuguese
• October 2001 German, Italian
• Total of 88 unique, lower-ASCII extensions

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Rapidly growing, voluntary network

• Over 75 million New.net-enabled users worldwide
  today
• Over 150 million by mid-2002

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New.net will deploy an initial IDNA solution in
Q1 2002

• Will be compliant with requirements of the IDN
  working group of the IETF
• Will resolve IDN.IDN domain names registered in
  the New.net registry via deployed base of client
  software
• Will continue to investigate possibilities of
  server-side IDN solutions in collaboration with
  local partners

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Multilingual naming does not require massive
immediate technical changes

• Continue with existing DNS naming and addressing
  infrastructure because it works.
• No need for additional layers above or below DNS
  to increase availability of good names
  (identifiers).
• Continue to use current addressing syntax
  www.something.something (multiple character
  sets) understandable as an Internet address, and
  provides hierarchical structure.

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New.net and Multilingual Names Andrew Duff
Director of Mktg and Policy, New.net

• December 2001