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Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
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<p>The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is a standards organization that oversees global <a href="/facts/IP_address/z9V22Sw9">IP address</a> allocation, <a href="/facts/Autonomous_system_(Internet)/zIVqxPX1">autonomous system</a> number allocation, <a href="/facts/DNS_root_zone/pVhV8cWh">root zone</a> management in the <a href="/facts/Domain_Name_System/rfxdWFsj">Domain Name System</a> (DNS), <a href="/facts/Internet_media_type/A31N5Fwj">media types</a>, and other <a href="/facts/Internet_Protocol/Qq6VeEal">Internet Protocol</a>–related symbols and Internet numbers. </p><p>Currently it is a function of <a href="/facts/ICANN/2EHgcUU1">ICANN</a>, a nonprofit private American corporation established in 1998 primarily for this purpose under a <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Commerce/3sch0DLr">United States Department of Commerce</a> contract. ICANN managed IANA directly from 1998 through 2016, when it was transferred to Public Technical Identifiers (PTI), an affiliate of ICANN that operates IANA today. Before it, IANA was administered principally by <a href="/facts/Jon_Postel/7FIv4teq">Jon Postel</a> at the <a href="/facts/Information_Sciences_Institute/VjBQnVkR">Information Sciences Institute</a> (ISI) of the <a href="/facts/University_of_Southern_California/N0v9R5gs">University of Southern California</a> (USC) situated at Marina Del Rey (Los Angeles), under a contract USC/ISI had with the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a>. </p><p>In addition, five <a href="/facts/Regional_Internet_registry/hrLGNjUS">regional Internet registries</a> delegate number resources to their customers, <a href="/facts/Local_Internet_registry/hrLGNjUS">local Internet registries</a>, <a href="/facts/Internet_service_providers/dUacAxef">Internet service providers</a>, and end-user organizations. A local Internet registry is an organization that assigns parts of its allocation from a regional Internet registry to other customers. Most local Internet registries are also Internet service providers. </p>