WASHINGTON, DC — Got an opinion about ICANN and how the internet would best be served once its contract with the U.S. government is renewed? If so, you’ve got until this Friday, July 7th to speak your piece.The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will hold a public meeting on July 26th about what should be done with ICANN when its contract is renewed in September. In preparation for that meeting, the NTIA is accepting email comments through this Friday.

This is the first time that the general public has been invited to provide feedback about how the internet should be governed, an issue increasingly on the international community’s collective mind and is poised to become even more important as non-English languages and nations are introduced to the technology. Already, a growing number of people are urging the U.S. government to share its power.

Of specific interest to the NTIA are suggestions about how ICANN should function and address current and future concerns.

More information is available at the NTIA web site, located at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2006/NOI_DNS_Transition_0506.htm.

Email feedback can be sent to DNSTransition@ntia.doc.gov.