ICANN awarded net adminstration until 2011

The US government has awarded net overseeing organisation ICANN the contract to administer changes at the top of the internet until 2011.

The contract covers what is commonly referred to as the IANA function, a traditional bundle of technical operations that includes the allocation of IP addresses, management of the internet root server system, and changes to the top tree of the net, defining where all top-level domains - including global domains such as .com and .net as well as the 250 country code domains such as .uk for Great Britain or .de for Germany - are located on the internet.

The decision was widely expected and the contract itself is largely a copy of the previous contract ICANN was first awarded back in 2000.

The contract lasts for five years but requires renewal each year. This approach has meant the US government can maintain a close control over changes, while also ensuring the function is revisited and refreshed over time.