Netnod Re-affirms Commitment to Operate I-root
17 April 2015
Netnod, a non-profit Internet infrastructure organisation based in Sweden, provides DNS root name service via i.root-servers.net. This service has been provided reliably for more than 15 years.
As the global Internet community considers changes to the NTIA oversight in relation to the transition of the IANA Stewardship of key DNS functions, Netnod wishes to assure the Internet community that our commitment to providing this service and to coordinating appropriately with ICANN and the other root server operators, remains and will not be affected by the outcome of these discussions.
The i.root-servers.net (I-root), was the first DNS root server to be established outside the USA. The service i.root-servers.net was initially provided by NORDUnet A/S as of July 1991, under the name nic.nordu.net. It was later renamed in 1995, as part of a coordinated effort by all root server operators, and Netnod took over the operations of I-root in 2000. Financed by our owners and customers, we provide this service for the benefit of the Internet as a whole.
Through i.root-servers.net, Netnod publishes the DNS root zone to the global Internet community in a non-discriminatory fashion, following the relevant technical standards and best practices, and in accordance with its governance processes.
Netnod and ICANN have affirmed their mutual commitment to coordinating the DNS root name service operations. This was done through an open letter exchange between ICANN and Netnod's then subsidiary Autonomica in 2009. In that letter, we acknowledged that a single unique DNS root is of paramount importance to the stable operations of the Internet and to ensuring global reachability.
Netnod remains committed to the principles expressed in this letter, and will continue working to operationalise them, independent of changes to the IANA stewardship.
More information
More information about Netnod’s operation of I-root.
A good FAQ on the root servers.
A map of all i.root-servers.net sites around the world.
A map of all root server sites around the world at: www.root-servers.org
2009 joint root server statement
The letter to ICANN in which Netnod affirmed its commitment to I-root in 2009 can be found here.
The response from Paul Twomey, CEO of ICANN at the time, confirming the mutual commitment of coordinating respective activities related to the operations of the root servers, can be found here.