It seems things are more relaxed than last year with the US speaking openly now of relinquishing control of ICANN as they originally promised to do.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5213470.stmThe US government currently oversees the net's domain name system through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).
But at a hearing on Wednesday a government official said the US was "committed" to the transition to private domain name control".
Icann, a California-based not-for profit company, was given the task of coordinating and managing the domain name system in 1998.
This includes the allocation of internet protocol numbers, the unique number given to every online device, as well as the assignment of domain names and deciding whether root-level names such as .com, .net or .org, can be added to the internet.
Currently the US Commerce Department oversees Icann, and any major changes to the domain name system need to be submitted for approval to the US Commerce Department.
But the deadline for the full privatisation of Icann is 30 September 2006, although the US department has the option to delay the hand-over, and the meeting on Wednesday formed part of the public consultation to determine whether the company is ready to stand alone
This is good news for other countries who had expressed concerns over the US holding a virtual monopoly over the Internet, there was even talk of a split if the situation was not dealt with.
It seems wiser heads have prevailed and the US is now willing to abide by its previous commitments as regards the full privatisation of ICANN
