The Consumers Council of Canada is pleased to announce that Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) At-Large Advisory Committee has certified the Council as an At-Large Structure, creating the opportunity for the Council to represent Canada’s consumers in the processes of ICANN.
ICANN coordinates the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, which are key technical services critical to the continued operations of the Internet’s underlying address book, the Domain Name System (DNS).

To reach another person on the Internet one must type an address into an Internet browser or other computer application — a name or a number. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that, there could not be one global Internet.

The opportunity for involvement representing individual users of the Internet is through ICANN’s At-Large Structure.

“The Consumers Council of Canada welcomes the opportunity to be a representative of the interests of Canada’s consumers in their use of the Internet,” said Council President Aubrey LeBlanc. “The careful stewardship of the Internet has become essential to the everyday life of Canadian consumers.”

LeBlanc announced the appointment of Howard Deane, CPA, CA, a member of the Council’s board of directors, as the Council’s lead representative to ICANN At-Large.

Consumers wishing to share with the Council their experiences related to Internet domain name services may do so through the Council’s online form at: http://www.consumerscouncil.com/tell-us-your-consumer-experience and selecting “Internet Domain Services” when completing the form.

Howard Deane has served as the Council’s lead research consultant for five studies that have directly or indirectly involved Internet services and as a consultant to the Council for interventions before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Deane was the Council’s representative and Head of Delegation for Canada for the recent initial international kick-off plenary meeting for ISO/TC290 Online Reputation. Deane is an independent consultant in the area of the Internet and knowledge management. Previously he worked for KPMG, where he was a member of the firm’s kpmg.ca Steering Group, a member of the Global Knowledge Management Steering Committee which was responsible for the global Intranet of KPMG called KWorld, Chair of the Global KM Core Advisory Team, and the Chair of the Canadian Knowledge Services Committee, which had responsibility for the Canadian KPMG Intranet.