ICANN pitches the internet's future

November 2004

ICANN - the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - which oversees the Internet in all its magnificent lunacy, has just published a Strategic Plan, in which it has outlined what its direction and goals are for the next three years.

In reality though, the strategic plan is a sales pitch to the world. And it should be read by anyone who wants to know the kind of people who will be running the internet for some time to come.

As a sales pitch, it is charming, convincing and considered. And as a sales pitch it is also simplified, one-sided and vague. Its job is to persuade you that ICANN is the best choice in what could become the greatest auction in history. The prize is control of the internet.

But do we rush out and put in an order for ICANN now? Or look at the other options, first?

One alternative, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), is a well-established giant looking to steal the market. The ITU has pretty much run all international communications networks since the invention of the telegraph. The internet caught it on the hop and it has been trying to fight its way back into the market ever since.