There’s a difference between “ability” and “advisability”: Verisign responds to NTIA
Verisign states it will agree to add lots of fresh TLDs to the root, but advises against it at this time.
Verisign has responded to the U.S. National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)’s demand that Verisign verify it will add fresh top level domains names to the root upon request.
The firm confirmed (pdf) that it will add fresh top level domains to the root, but essentially stated “if something goes wrong, don’t say we didn’t tell you so.”
The NTIA had called Verisign out for apparently contradictory stances on fresh TLDs. It stated that Verisign previously stated it was in position to add 100 TLDs to the root per week, and that it now seemed to be backtracking on this statement.
Verisign stated this is not the case. Although it stated it has the ability to add this many domains to the root, it doesn’t advise that this be done.
Armed with the latest data on name collisions, Verisign reiterated that there are numerous security and stability problems that still haven’t been resolved.
It stated that its warnings regarding fresh TLDs “very likely helped prevent substantial damage and disruption to users of global Internet.”
Perhaps writing words to be used as a future “we told you so”, Verisign wrote:
Therefore, if NTIA believes, as stated in your letter, that the authority to order delegations, along with the ability to order the removal of delegations together comprise sufficient controls to manage instability and security risks, and that the timeframe articulated by ICANN’s senior management for the delegation of fresh gTLDs is appropriate, we can agree to disagree and Verisign will still act in accordance with its contractual obligations.
