7 March 2014
Managing Director of Telecom Namibia last week called for a change in the manner in which the country’s domain name registry is handled, proposing that a multi-stakeholder body be created to be the guarantor of the country code top level domain (ccTLD).
Frans Ndoroma said that the Namibian ccTLD ought to be managed and administered in an effective, transparent and equitable manner, and in conformity with global Internet policies.
“It is high time for Namibia to establish an institution to administer the country code top level domain (ccTLD),” Ndoroma said at launch of the Namibia Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Windhoek on 7 March.
He said that a domain name is a national asset whose use should be managed in such a way as to benefit the whole country. He also said that domain names are a key driver to the growth of a nation’s Internet network.
“The existing arrangement for the management of Namibia’s ccTLD is flawed in a number of ways. Most notably, the registration process is controlled by individuals, and the current administration processes and procedures are not representative of all stakeholders and do not contribute in any way to the development of Namibia’s ICT community,” he said
“We need to broaden representation in the administration of the ccTLD. We believe these initiatives will go a long way in making the use of Internet more exciting and cost effective,” he added
Currently the .na domain name is managed and administered by NA-NiC (Namibian Network Information Centre), a close corporation established in 1991 and run by Dr. Eberhard Lisse.
The Telecom MD said a multi-stakeholder body should be set up to manage the administration, policy-setting and technical operations of the country’s ccTLD.
He said such a body should promote, manage and operate the delegated .na ccTLD in the interest of the Namibian Internet community and the global Internet community as a broad-based organisation with representation from stakeholders in the local Internet industry.
“I wish to call upon all in the industry to be supportive of this position and others that aim at opening up the sector to flexible ways of doing business; for this is where our hope lies to achieving increased ICT usage in the country,” Ndoroma said.
