APNIC and ISC install the first root nameserver in Mainland China

Press release issued 7 November 2003

The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) and the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) have installed a new F-root server anycast instance in Beijing in cooperation with China Telecom and the Beijing Internet Exchange which is run by China Netcom Corporation (CNC). The new server is a mirror of the F-root nameserver managed by ISC in the United States.

Despite being the world's most populous economy, Mainland China has never enjoyed the benefits of a local root nameserver, and this development will bring dramatic improvements in speed and reliability to Internet users in Beijing, China and the surrounding region.

According to Paul Wilson, Director General of APNIC, this is one of the most important Internet infrastructure developments in the Asia Pacific region, in recent years. "APNIC is now allocating more IP addresses to China than to any other country, and this rate of growth will continue for many years. This rootserver deployment will support that growth and benefit the Chinese Internet community, and I am very glad of APNIC's role in such an important development."

Joao Damas, ISC Senior Programme Manager, added, "China is the world's most populated country and we are excited to be working with APNIC supporting the development of the Internet in China with the deployment of this root nameserver. With this installation, ISC has added 13 new F-root mirror nameservers in 2003."

The new server will store a series of information for identifying domain names that are included at the end of web addresses, for example '.' or '.com'. This enables it to find sites immediately in the region or to direct users to the other relevant servers located in other countries. For example, users in Beijing and the surrounding region have noticed a fifteen-fold improvement in response time. In addition, the new server will also decrease the country's dependency on foreign Internet connectivity.

APNIC and ISC install the first root nameserver in Mainland China

Press release issued 7 November 2003

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