IANA transition delay would increase ‘inherent distrust’ in multistakeholderism, NTIA official says
NTIA Associate Administrator Fiona Alexander cautioned Friday against Congress using its legislative powers to delay the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority transition. Congressional intervention against the wishes of ICANN stakeholders could result in “inherent distrust” in multistakeholder internet governance, she said at an R Street Institute event. NTIA began openly pushing back in late June against Capitol Hill Republicans’ calls for the agency to delay the transition by extending the agency’s existing contract with ICANN to administer the IANA functions past the current Sept. 30 expiration date (see 1606280062). Congress also is considering legislation to delay or outright halt the IANA transition, including a proposed extension to an existing rider in the Department of Commerce’s budget that bars NTIA from using its funds on the transition through the end of FY 2016. It’s unclear how and whether Congress will move to intervene on the transition, but that debate is likely to reach a crescendo when legislators return from their August recess, officials told us.
