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Jon Nevett Represents Registrar as Member of Review Panel  HERNDON, VA – February 29, 2008

Network Solutions presented to the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Telecommunications and Internet Administration (NTIA) on Thursday, February 28, 2008, in Washington, DC. The meeting was held to review the mid-term Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between the DOC and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The NTIA consulted with several interested stakeholders regarding the mid-term review, including representatives from the Internet Society, government, business, registries and users, but Network Solutions was the only registrar invited to share insights at the hearing.  Signed by ICANN on September 29, 2006, the JPA outlines a three-year term with a required mid-term review of ICANN’s progress in meeting the responsibilities to transition the Internet’s Domain Name System to a more autonomous existence under ICANN’s governance.

Jonathon Nevett, Vice President and Chief Policy Counsel for Network Solutions, represented Network Solutions and provided comments on ICANN’s progress from a registrar’s perspective.  “While we applaud the DOC, NTIA and ICANN for their leadership and efforts to improve the Domain Name System, Network Solutions strongly believes that it is premature to conclude that ICANN has fully met the requirements of the JPA,” noted Nevett in his public comments.

 In addition, Nevett offered the following recommendations to the NTIA for ICANN’s successful autonomous existence: ·        

• Adopt additional ICANN Board decision making procedures;·        
• Change the ICANN bylaws to provide sufficient ICANN Board oversight;·        
• Improve the ICANN budgeting process and financial disclosures;·        
• Mandate public review of material contracts; and·        
• Improve competition by introducing new Top Level Domains and Internationalized Domain Names.

Network Solutions will continue to work with ICANN to address these issues and to develop a post-JPA transition plan in conjunction with the NTIA and ICANN.   A complete version of Network Solutions’ comments to the DOC as presented by Jon Nevett can be found at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/jpacomments2007/jpacomment_156.pdf. The public meeting was held at the Herbert C. Hoover Building auditorium in Washington, DC, on Thursday, February 28, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.