Editing History of the Internet (section)

===NIC, InterNIC, IANA, and ICANN===
The IANA function was originally performed by USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), and it delegated portions of this responsibility with respect to numeric network and autonomous system identifiers to the [[Network Information Center]] (NIC) at [[Stanford Research Institute]] (SRI International) in [[Menlo Park, California]]. ISI's [[Jonathan Postel]] managed the IANA, served as RFC Editor and performed other key roles until his death in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.internethalloffame.org/2012/10/15/remembering-jon-postel-and-day-he-redirected-internet/|title=Remembering Jon Postel — And the Day He Redirected the Internet|first=Internet|last=Society|date=October 15, 2012}}</ref>

As the early ARPANET grew, hosts were referred to by names, and a HOSTS.TXT file would be distributed from [[SRI International]] to each host on the network. As the network grew, this became cumbersome. A technical solution came in the form of the [[Domain Name System]], created by ISI's [[Paul Mockapetris]] in 1983.<ref>Elizabeth Feinler, IEEE Annals [3B2-9] man2011030074.3d 29/7/011 11:54 Page 74</ref> The Defense Data Network—Network Information Center (DDN-NIC) at SRI handled all registration services, including the [[top-level domain]]s (TLDs) of [[.mil]], [[.gov]], [[.edu]], [[.org]], [[.net]], [[.com]] and [[.us]], [[root nameserver]] administration and Internet number assignments under a [[United States Department of Defense]] contract.<ref name="DDN NIC"/> In 1991, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded the administration and maintenance of DDN-NIC (managed by SRI up until this point) to Government Systems, Inc., who subcontracted it to the small private-sector [[Network Solutions|Network Solutions, Inc.]]<ref>{{cite ietf|title=GSI-Network Solutions |work=TRANSITION OF NIC SERVICES |rfc=1261}}</ref><ref>{{cite court |url=http://lw.bna.com/lw/19980428/972412.htm |litigants=William THOMAS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC., and National Science Foundation Defendants. Civ. No. 97-2412 (TFH), Sec. I.A. |court=D.D.C. |vol=2 |reporter=F.Supp.2d |opinion=22 |date=April 6, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222065509/http://lw.bna.com/lw/19980428/972412.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The increasing cultural diversity of the Internet also posed administrative challenges for centralized management of the IP addresses. In October 1992, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) published RFC 1366,<ref>{{cite ietf |title=RFC 1366 |work=Guidelines for Management of IP Address Space |rfc=1366}}</ref> which described the "growth of the Internet and its increasing globalization" and set out the basis for an evolution of the IP registry process, based on a regionally distributed registry model. This document stressed the need for a single Internet number registry to exist in each geographical region of the world (which would be of "continental dimensions"). Registries would be "unbiased and widely recognized by network providers and subscribers" within their region.
The RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) was established as the first RIR in May 1992. The second RIR, the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), was established in Tokyo in 1993, as a pilot project of the Asia Pacific Networking Group.<ref name="Cisco">{{cite web|url=http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_4-4/regional_internet_registries.html|title=Development of the Regional Internet Registry System|publisher=Cisco|access-date=April 10, 2012|archive-date=January 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101025735/http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_4-4/regional_internet_registries.html}}</ref>

Since at this point in history most of the growth on the Internet was coming from non-military sources, it was decided that the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] would no longer fund registration services outside of the .mil TLD. In 1993 the U.S. [[National Science Foundation]], after a competitive bidding process in 1992, created the [[InterNIC]] to manage the allocations of addresses and management of the address databases, and awarded the contract to three organizations. Registration Services would be provided by [[Network Solutions]]; Directory and Database Services would be provided by [[AT&T Corporation|AT&T]]; and Information Services would be provided by [[General Atomics]].<ref>{{cite mailing list|title=NIS Manager Award Announced |url=https://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/lir-wg/1993-January/000028.html | date=5 January 1993 |mailing-list=lir-wg }}</ref>

Over time, after consultation with the IANA, the [[IETF]], [[RIPE NCC]], [[APNIC]], and the [[Federal Networking Council]] (FNC), the decision was made to separate the management of domain names from the management of IP numbers.<ref name="Cisco"/> Following the examples of RIPE NCC and APNIC, it was recommended that management of IP address space then administered by the InterNIC should be under the control of those that use it, specifically the ISPs, end-user organizations, corporate entities, universities, and individuals. As a result, the [[American Registry for Internet Numbers]] (ARIN) was established as in December 1997, as an independent, not-for-profit corporation by direction of the [[National Science Foundation]] and became the third Regional Internet Registry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Internet Moves Toward Privatization|url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=102819|work=www.nsf.gov|date=24 June 1997}}</ref>

In 1998, both the IANA and remaining DNS-related InterNIC functions were reorganized under the control of [[ICANN]], a California [[non-profit corporation]] contracted by the [[United States Department of Commerce]] to manage a number of Internet-related tasks. As these tasks involved technical coordination for two principal Internet name spaces (DNS names and IP addresses) created by the IETF, ICANN also signed a memorandum of understanding with the [[Internet Architecture Board|IAB]] to define the technical work to be carried out by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.<ref>{{cite ietf|title=RFC 2860 |work=Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Technical Work of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority |rfc=2860}}</ref> The management of Internet address space remained with the regional Internet registries, which collectively were defined as a supporting organization within the ICANN structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws|title=ICANN Bylaws|access-date=April 10, 2012}}</ref> ICANN provides central coordination for the DNS system, including policy coordination for the split registry / registrar system, with competition among registry service providers to serve each top-level-domain and multiple competing registrars offering DNS services to end-users.