Domain Registration
 

Just a curious question...

If I am not mistaken, I believe that awhile back, when you wanted to host a website and get your own domain name, there was only one company that you was able to register that domain with: InterNIC (i think). I was just wondering what happened?

Why was it only one company? How did other companies get the rights to register domains? etc.

Thanks ;)

I believe they started getting regulated by the gov't.
It was probably only one company so multiple companies wouldn't be issuing the same domain names as that would lead to many many issues.
Also after a quick search, I found this. http://www.icann.org/general/background.htm
Btw, ICANN now manages it all, with smaller registrars and such.