U.S. Will Call for More Net Domains

The Clinton administration is expected today to call for the addition of up to five Internet domain names and to allow dozens of companies to enter the multimillion-dollar business of selling cyberspace addresses.

The White House recommendations will outline how the government plans to transfer responsibility for administering Internet domain names, such as “.com,” “.gov” and “.org.” Herndon, Va.-based Network Solutions Inc. currently holds the sole government contract for that authority.

The report’s author, senior White House policy advisor Ira Magaziner, said earlier this week that there is “general consensus that governance of the Internet should be privatized” and that more domain names should be added.

Industry groups that have met with Magaziner say he will call for the establishment of a private, nonprofit international body, based in Washington, to oversee Internet message routing.

The Commerce Department said the report will be posted on the Internet today at https://www.ntia.doc.gov