Australia's industry body overseeing domain names, auDA, has released proposals to change domain name policy and introduce greater competition.auDA's name policy advisory panel is examining eligibility in the .au domain name space and the rules surrounding the selection of domain names. The panel has invited further comment on its proposals ahead of its final recommendations to the auDA Board in April.auDA's competition model advisory panel is also inviting comments on its first public consultation report which outlines a possible model for competition in the provision of domain name services.
The main issue under consideration is whether a single registry, or a multiple registries model will best serve the long-term interests of Internet users. A registry is a database containing all domain names and public information; currently there is one registry for the com.au, edu.au, gov.au, id.au and org.au while asn.au, csiro.au and net.au each has its own registry.
These proposals examine the number of registries required to be cost effective and maximise public benefit.auDA CEO Chris Disspain said feedback from the Australian community about the management of .au domain names will benefit all Internet users, not just domain name holders.
Both reports are available at http://www.auda.org.au