What is ICANN?

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)¹ is a non-profit, private, and international organization responsible for maintaining and coordinating the unique identifiers essential for the global internet. ICANN plays a critical role in the functioning of the internet by managing IP address allocation, domain name systems (DNS), protocol parameters, and root server systems.

Pronounced “EYE-can”, ICANN was established in 1998 to take over responsibilities previously handled by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which operated under contract with the U.S. government.

ICANN’s Core Responsibilities

ICANN is central to the technical operation of the internet and is responsible for:

• IP Address Allocation: Distributes IPv4 and IPv6 addresses through five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).
• Domain Name System (DNS) Management: Oversees the top-level domains (TLDs) and accredits registrars who sell domain names.
• Protocol Parameter Assignment: Maintains internet protocol identifiers like port numbers and Autonomous System (AS) numbers.
• Root Server System Management: Ensures the stability of the root name server infrastructure.
• Top-Level Domain (TLD) Management: Administers both generic (gTLD) and country-code TLDs (ccTLDs).

These functions are critical for keeping the internet globally connected and stable.

Why ICANN is Important

ICANN operates under a public-private partnership model and serves a global community of stakeholders. Its responsibilities are carried out with the goals of:

• Maintaining internet stability
• Encouraging competition and innovation
• Promoting bottom-up, consensus-driven processes
• Ensuring broad representation in decision-making

The organization manages over 180 million domain names and more than 4 billion IP addresses across 240 countries.

ICANN’s Structure and Governance

• Board of Directors: Includes 16 voting members and 4 non-voting liaisons. Most are nominated by various ICANN constituencies.
• Leadership: Includes a President and CEO who serve on the board.
• Multistakeholder Model: ICANN’s decisions are guided by input from governments, businesses, technical experts, civil society, and users.

ICANN’s Accountability Model

ICANN enforces transparency and accountability through:

1. Public Accountability: Engages stakeholders and shares operational details openly.
2. Corporate & Legal Accountability: Meets its legal and contractual obligations.
3. Community Accountability: Responds to feedback and needs of its global internet community.

Transparency is maintained by publishing meeting documents, reports, and review findings—except where confidentiality is required (e.g., employee records or sensitive government discussions).

ICANN Fees and Funding

Domain registrars pay ICANN the following fees:

• Annual Accreditation Fee: $4,000 per registrar
• Variable Fees: Quarterly payments based on ICANN’s shared service costs
• Transaction Fees: $0.18 per domain transaction (registration, renewal, or transfer)

These fees support ICANN’s operations independently of government contracts.

History and Milestones

• 1983 – IANA established under Jon Postel for IP address management.
• 1998 – ICANN formed as a non-profit to take over IANA responsibilities.
• 2000 – ICANN signs contract with the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.
• 2000–2002 – First gTLD expansion (7 new domains).
• 2003–2011 – Second gTLD expansion (7 more domains).
• 2012–2017 – Third expansion (over 1,200 new gTLDs).
• 2016 – U.S. government ends direct oversight of ICANN.
• 2017 – ICANN transitions to fully global, multistakeholder governance.

ICANN and the IANA Transition

In 2016, oversight of the IANA functions officially transitioned from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NTIA to ICANN. The transition was designed to:

• Strengthen multistakeholder governance
• Maintain internet security and openness
• Promote global accountability

The change was widely viewed as essential to keeping the internet free from centralized control by any one nation or entity.

Criticism and Concerns

ICANN has faced scrutiny over:

• The approval process for new gTLDs
• Whether alternate DNS roots should be recognized
• Transparency in decision-making
• Potential for increased influence by governments or corporations post-IANA transition

There are ongoing concerns about how domain-level decisions could impact freedom of speech, press, and other civil liberties.

Get Involved

Stakeholders, including technologists, businesses, civil society, and individuals, can participate in ICANN through:

• Public comment periods
• Policy development processes
• Advisory committees and working groups

Opportunities to volunteer, such as participating in DNS security reviews, are available to those with relevant expertise.

Key Acronyms to Know

• DNS: Domain Name System – translates IP addresses into readable domain names.
• IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority² – ICANN’s technical operations arm.
• NTIA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration – former U.S. oversight body.
• TLD: Top-Level Domain – suffixes like .com, .org, .uk, .mx, etc.

Conclusion

ICANN plays a vital role in ensuring that the internet remains a global, interoperable resource. Its multistakeholder approach to governance aims to balance the interests of users, businesses, governments, and technologists worldwide—supporting a stable and secure internet infrastructure for all.

More Info on ICANN

1. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Website ↩︎
2. What is IANA? The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IPv4 Connect) ↩︎