Canadian Internet Registration Authority
 | |
| Type: | Non Profit Organization |
| Industry: | Registrar |
| Founded: | Canada (1998) |
| Headquarters: | 350 Sparks Street, Suite 306 Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7S8 Canada |
| Website: | http://www.cira.ca |
| Key People | |
| Byron Holland, President & CEO Michael Stewart, General Counsel & Director of Policy | |
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the rganization that manages the .CA domain space on behalf of all Canadians, the policies that support Canada’s Internet community and Canada’s involvement in international Internet governance. [1] This Non Profit Organization incorporated in December 1998 and became the official .CA registry on December 1, 2000.[2] A 15 member Board of Directors, consisting of both elected and appointed members, oversee CIRA's operations. Board members are elected annually by CIRA Members through an online process. Membership in CIRA is free, and open to anyone who holds a .CA domain.
History[edit | edit source]
.ca domain[edit | edit source]
.ca is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Canada. Registrants of .ca domains must meet Canadian Presence Requirements as defined by the registry.
Jon Postel, operator of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), allocated the domain name was originally to John Demco of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1988.[3] During that time, the Internet was used mostly for small-time research.[4] The first .CA domain name was upei.ca, registered in 1988 by the University of Prince Edward Island. [5] The administrtaion of the .ca domain were carried out by Demco with with assistance of .ca committe of volunteers. The names from .ca domain were assigned without charged to the applicants.
In 1997, at the Canadian Internet community's annual conference, In 1997, at the Canadian Internet community's annual conference, discussions of reform led to the formation of the Canadian Domain.[6]
Following a public consultation, the CDNCC recommended that a private sector, not-for-profit corporation be set up to take over the administration of the .ca from UBC and John Demco. In late December 1998, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) was incorporated to take this function. [7]
In a 1999 letter the Canadian Government recognized CIRA as the new administrator of the .ca domain.
In May 2000, an Umbrella Agreement was signed between the government, CIRA and UBC which provided for an orderly transition for the management of the domain space as well as highlighted mechanisms that facilitate input from the Government. The agreement was structured so that the redelegation came from ICANN and not the Canadian government.
The agreement lays the base for a legal relationship between CIRA and the Government of Canada that ensures that those two entities and ICANN can perform their respective responsibilities for stable operation. Governmental guidance is stated in broad, public-interest terms, and requires that any governmental action to replace CIRA be justified by substantial reasons.
References[edit | edit source]