[Federal Register: April 12, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 71)]
[Notices]
[Page 18913-18914]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ap01-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration;
Notice of a Cooperative Agreement with EDUCAUSE for Management of .edu
Domain Name Space
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a cooperative agreement with EDUCAUSE.
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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) announces that it intends to enter into a cooperative agreement
for the management of the .edu domain name space with EDUCAUSE, an
association whose mission is to represent the policy, strategy, and
operations interests for networking and information technology needs of
higher education institutions. This cooperative agreement will
facilitate policy development and technical operations of the .edu
domain by a single responsible entity and provide a framework for the
administration of the .edu domain.
The transition of operational and policy implementation functions
for the .edu domain through a cooperative agreement to a single entity
with strong ties to the education community is intended to constitute
the selection of a successor registry for the .edu domain as described
in Amendment 21 of Cooperative Agreement NCR 92-18742 \1\ and is
consistent with policies outlined in the Department of Commerce's
Statement of Policy, often referred to as the White Paper.\2\
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\1\ Cooperative Agreement, as amended, NCR-9218742, see
especially Amendment 21, available at www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/
domainname/agreements/amendment21.htm.
\2\ See Management of Internet Names and Addresses, Statement of
Policy, National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
Department of Commerce, 63 FR 31741 (June 10, 1998).
Authority: National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended,
42 U.S.C. 1861-75, and specifically 42 U.S.C. 1870(c), (j); National
Telecommunications and Administrative Organization Act, 47 U.S.C.
901 et seq.; and Presidential Memorandum of Electronic Commerce, A
Framework for Global Electronic Commerce, 33 Weekly Comp.
Presidential Documents 1006 (July 1, 1997), which directs the
Secretary of Commerce to transition Domain Name System management to
the private sector.
Background
The .edu domain is the top level domain (TLD) of the Internet
domain name system (DNS) that was established for use by educational
institutions. Currently, it is generally restricted to use by four-year
degree granting higher education institutions. Community and two-year
colleges are not currently eligible for a .edu domain, although through
the award of this cooperative agreement EDUCAUSE intends to implement a
policy more responsive to the needs of this community. Also, higher
educational institutions are
[[Page 18914]]
generally restricted to one .edu registration. Network Solutions
currently provides registry/registrar services for the .edu domain
names pursuant to Cooperative Agreement NCR-9218742 with the
Department. The cooperative agreement will be made exclusively with
EDUCAUSE. No other administering organization is being solicited with
this notice. EDUCAUSE has the requisite technical and organizational
capability as well as the educational community support to
appropriately administer .edu. EDUCAUSE is a non-profit organization
that emerged from the consolidation of two prominent higher education
technology associations--CAUSE and Educom--since 1964. As an
association with over 1,800 college and university members, it has
represented the developers of the campus, regional, and national
networking for higher education. EDUCAUSE currently operates an
extensive web-based information system for external and internal
communications with members of the public. One of EDUCAUSE's primary
purposes is improving and transforming the use of information
technology resources across college and university campuses. EDUCAUSE
is uniquely qualified and best able to administer the .edu domain name
space because of the following factors:
EDUCAUSE is a non-profit association that advocates the
development and management of networking for higher education and has
widespread community respect on issues of Internet policy and
technology. It represents information technology issues for higher
education.
With membership of over 1,800 higher educational
institutions, EDUCAUSE has the support of significantly interested
parties to implement the policy and be the technical administrator of
the .edu domain. Specifically, EDUCAUSE's proposal to administer the
.edu domain name space has the support of the American Council on
Education, Association of American Universities, National Association
of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, American Association of
State Colleges and Universities, Council of Independent Colleges, and
the American Association of Community Colleges. EDUCAUSE is committed
to and has demonstrated that it will represent the interests of .edu
stakeholders while administering .edu through a transparent and open
policy development process.
EDUCAUSE has a unique background in higher education
institutional technology, resources and networking, and is technically
capable of managing the .edu domain services ensuring continued
stability of the .edu domain name space.
This cooperative agreement will be awarded for a 5-year period to
be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance. The cooperative
agreement will be at no cost to the Federal government, and EDUCAUSE
will only be able to recover its cost of administering the .edu domain
services. Continuation awards within the project period will be made on
the basis of satisfactory progress.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stacy Cheney, Office of Chief Counsel,
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, telephone
(202) 482-1816; or electronic mail, scheney@ntia.doc.gov.
Dated: April 6, 2001.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 01-8980 Filed 4-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P