Welcome to Part 3 of our Internet Governance series. We’ve talked about the “What” (IG) and the “Who” (ICANN). Now, let’s talk about the “How.”

The internet is basically a massive conversation between computers. Computers don’t speak English or Nepali; they speak numbers.

The Address Book: IP Addresses

Every device connected to the internet has an IP Address (Internet Protocol Address). It’s like a phone number.

  • IPv4: The old system. Looks like 192.168.1.1. The problem? We ran out of these numbers years ago because we connected too many fridges and watches to the internet.
  • IPv6: The new system. Looks like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. We have enough of these to assign an IP to every grain of sand on Earth.

Governance Angle: Who hands these out?

  1. IANA (ICANN) gives big blocks to…
  2. RIRs (Regional Internet Registries) like APNIC (Asia Pacific), who give blocks to…
  3. ISPs (WorldLink, Vianet), who give one to…
  4. You.

If this chain breaks, you don’t get online.

The Translator: The DNS (Domain Name System)

Imagine if you had to remember 172.217.167.78 to search for something. You wouldn’t. You’d quit.

The DNS is the phonebook that translates google.com (Names) into 172.217.167.78 (Numbers).

When you type arjankc.com.np:

  1. Recursive Resolver: Your ISP’s server asks, “Do I know this site?”
  2. Root Server: If not, it asks the Root. “Where is .np?”
  3. TLD Server: The Root says, “Ask the .np server.”
  4. Authoritative Server: The .np server says, “Here is the IP for arjankc.”

The Master Keys: Root Servers

At the very top of this hierarchy are the Root Zone Servers. There are 13 logical root servers (named A through M).

  • Myth: There are only 13 computers running the internet.
  • Fact: There are hundreds of copies of these servers all over the world (Anycast), including right here in Nepal (hosted by NPIX and others).

Governance Angle: Who controls the Root Zone? ICANN manages the content of the file, but 12 different organizations (including NASA, University of Maryland, Verisign) operate the servers. It’s decentralized security.

Why This Matters for Nepal

  1. IPv6 Adoption: Nepal needs to move faster on IPv6 to sustain digital growth. As a network engineer or IT student, this is a critical skill.
  2. Local Root Copies: Hosting copies of Root Servers in Kathmandu means our internet is faster and more resilient. If the international fiber cuts, our local DNS resolution still works.
  3. Digital Sovereignty: Understanding this infrastructure ensures we aren’t just consumers of technology, but competent operators of our own digital destiny.

Next up, we look at the political philosophy that holds this all together: The Multistakeholder Model.