US to retain control over Internet

The National Telecommunications and Information Agency put a statement on its Web site saying the United States will "maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications" to the master file that translates domain names into computer code to keep the Internet secure.

The New York Times reports the agency made no mention of a 1998 memorandum of understanding that would separate the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) from the Commerce Department by 2006.

The Internet, once known as the Arpanet, began as a Defense Department project in the 1960s and 1970s and has grown into a worldwide network. The United Nations' International Telecommunication Union and several countries have suggested an international agency should take over from Icann.

(c) 2005 UPI