Executive Summary
Sponsored by
SRI International
Menlo Park, CA, USA
SRI International (SRI) proposes to ICANN
a new top-level domain (TLD), .geo, which will make the full power of
geospatial knowledge available to all Internet users. Properly implemented, .geo will make the Internet more efficient,
both technically and as a tool for human communication and commerce. It also will open new global and local
opportunities for science, commerce, education, and enterprises even in the
developing world, where such civic and commercial activity has in the past been
technologically or economically difficult or impossible.
This new TLD will provide a complete,
virtually free, and open infrastructure for registering and discovering georeferenced information on the
Internet. Georeferenced information is
information that represents a geographically located place, object, or process
with a geographic location. (Additional
italicized words are defined in the appended glossary.)
SRI's proposal stipulates that the basic service made possible by .geo, the registration and discovery of georeferenced information, will be virtually free to Internet users and based on internationally accepted open standards. SRI anticipates that access to this information via .geo will vastly increase the Internet's usefulness and will have applications in diverse sectors including education, science, commerce, and government.
In the world of digital libraries, metadata is an abstraction, or summary
of data. Geodata, as we call it here,
is a summary of georeferenced information.
It may include the information's author, owner, date, geographic
location, keywords, and one or more mime-type/URL pairs pointing to one or more
attributes or digital representations of the georeferenced information. Today's Internet contains a great deal of
information that can be georeferenced the National Academy of Sciences estimates
that 80 percent of the information on the Internet has a spatial component
but it does not provide the geodata necessary for the prospective user to
exploit this information.
Online
maps are a form of georeferenced information.
These maps are inaccurate and often incomplete. They are also expensive
to maintain, proprietary, and difficult for the average Internet user to
use. Tellingly, more than 70 percent
of adults cannot read maps. A new, more
ubiquitous way of accessing, displaying, and working with georeferenced
information is needed.
.geo will provide an intelligent schema for rapidly collecting and registering geodata that can then be used as a directory to georeferenced information. The geodata directs Internet users to the information they are seeking, based on the geospatial region in which the information resides or to which it relates. .geo-enabled searches will be much quicker, more focused, and more accurate than searches based on existing technology.
With new, freely available, browser technology developed by SRI and others, .geo will be able to present this information in two or three dimensions, time series, and other forms including traditional lists with links that will be easy for the typical Internet user to locate and use. This ubiquity of georeferenced information will provide a foundation for new Internet applications.
.geo will become the latitude and
longitude of the Internet's virtual world.
It will enable the essentially free registration and discovery of standardized
geodata. Data Providers will generate and own this geodata and the
georeferenced information to which it refers.
They will be able to make this georeferenced information available to
Internet users, either free or in return for considerations including
subscriptions and major purchases of products and services.
The types of georeferenced information to
which .geo will direct users may include non-digital legacy information, like
maps archived in a library; digital maps, elevation data, and aerial and
satellite images; geographic locations of businesses, commercial and government
services, and natural resources; three-dimensional (3D) dynamic models of
places including buildings, bridges, roads, sea and air lanes, vegetation,
croplands, and vehicles; scientific models of natural phenomena; geoparsed
textual information; and formats unknown to us today.
Data Providers will be able to geocode their information themselves or
contract with others to do it for them.
Similarly, Data Providers will be able to format their information for
different types of access for example, as 3D models or as lists with links
or contract with others to do the formatting.
Georeferenced information, as SRI
envisions it, might include nearly every type of information currently
available on the Internet and many types not yet available there. Similarly, many and various services will be
based on this information. These
services fall into three broad categories:
Education (about people, places, things,
and processes)
Travel and tourism
Electronic commerce: for example,
locating vendors
Economic development and health planning
Business logistics
Conservation and sustainable exploitation
of resources
Traffic congestion
More democratic, inclusive, informed
governance
Regional and international scientific and
economic cooperation
Flexible responses to health crises and
natural disasters
Rationalization of markets and the means
to serve them
A thorough discussion of applications,
including depictive user scenarios, is contained in this proposal's discussion
of the Market, D13.2.3.
The .geo Hierarchy
.geo will organize the entire world of things and processes in geographical formats that are compatible with Internet use. It will not be a mapping convention, although it will be used to generate maps more complete than any on the Internet today. The .geo TLD, in combination with the Internet, will organically generate a dynamic universal atlas of natural and human phenomena on land, beneath the waves, and in the skies (even in outer space).
The Schema. Everything in the world has one or more locations. .geo will categorize these locations according to a Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy of geographic domain names. Unlike other proposed TLDs in which domain names are assigned arbitrarily, in .geo the hierarchical domain name will have real meaning: it will represent a region bounded by latitude and longitude. Such a region will be called a cell. Following are example applications of this schema.
The geographic domain name 20e30n.geo identifies the 10-degree 10-degree cell whose southwest corner is located at 20 degrees east, 30 degrees north.
The geographic domain name 2e4n.10e50n.geo identifies the 1-degree
1-degree cell whose southwest corner is located at 12 degrees east, 54 degrees
north.
The geographic domain name 11e21n.3e7n.30e10n.geo identifies the 1-minute 1-minute cell whose southwest corner is located at 33 degrees, 11 minutes east and 17 degrees, 21 minutes north.
An XML name schema file downloadable from the URL nameschema.geo will specify the exact form of the hierarchy, the
naming convention for cells.
GeoRegistries
and Cell Servers. Each geographic cell in .geo will be
assigned at least one server, called a cell
server. Cell servers will be
maintained by organizations called GeoRegistries,
who will be contractually obliged to provide services for the registration and
discovery of geodata according to protocols and minimum service criteria
defined by the Sponsor. Briefly, a cell
server assigned to a given cell will be responsible for storing and responding
to queries for geodata that lie within its cell boundary.
GeoRegistries may charge a fee for
registration of geodata, but this fee will not exceed a value specified by the
Sponsor. GeoRegistries will not charge
a fee for the discovery of geodata, unless they are doing so on behalf of Data
Providers. GeoRegistries may offer
other services to Data Providers, such as data hosting.
GeoRegistries will be identified by their
brand name. For example, a GeoRegistry named "acme" may have a
server (say server1.acme.com) that is assigned to cells 10e20n.geo, 10e30n.geo,
and 2e5n.10e30n.geo. This means that
the cell server domain names
acme.10e20n.geo, acme.10e30n.geo, and acme.2e5n.10e30n.geo are all registered
in the .geo gTLD registry, and are all delegated to server1.acme.com.
Note that several GeoRegistries may have
cell servers assigned to the same cell.
For example GeoRegistries "acme," "best," and
"first" could all have servers assigned to the 20e30n.geo cell,
designated acme.20e30n.geo, best.20e30n.geo, and first.20e30n.geo. Competition
among GeoRegistries is ensured, since many GeoRegistries can assume stewardship
for the same cell, competing on quality of service and other terms.
One special GeoRegistry must have a
server assigned to every cell on the planet.
This GeoRegistry will be called the default
GeoRegistry named "earth."
(The names of the other planets will be reserved for interplanetary
geodata.) The default GeoRegistry will
be used when client queries do not specify a GeoRegistry name, or when the
specified GeoRegistry does not have an assigned cell server.
Since only one cell server can carry the
default name, the default GeoRegistry will be maintained by one or more
entities (corporations, not for profit organizations, government agencies,
etc.) on a regional basis. For example,
organization A may be assigned cells covering parts of North America, while
organization B may be assigned cells covering parts of Europe. Organizations will be required to meet
stringent performance and service standards and will be allowed to compete on a
regular basis for the assignment of default cell server domain names.
GeoRegistrars.
A Data Provider who wishes to make its georeferenced information
available via .geo must use the services of an accredited GeoRegistrar (accreditation criteria will be defined by the Sponsor
and implemented by an accreditation authority designated by the Sponsor, called
the Accreditor). A GeoRegistrar will be analogous to a
traditional Domain Name Registrar; but instead of registering a domain name in
a Domain Name Registry, a GeoRegistrar will register a geodata record in a
GeoRegistry. Specifically, the
GeoRegistrar will (1) determine the cell(s) corresponding to the geographic
location or area specified in the geodata according to the name schema, (2)
choose a GeoRegistry, and (3) transmit the geodata record to the corresponding
cell server(s) defined by the GeoRegistry name and geographic domain name.
For example, consider the simple case of
a restaurant with an established Web presence (such as www.yourfamilyrestaurant.com). In this case, a GeoRegistrar may offer a
simple browser interface that would allow the restaurant owner to enter the
street address of the restaurant, the restaurant's name, various keywords, and
the URL of the restaurant web site. To
register this geodata record, the street address will first be geoparsed and geocoded to provide the geographic coordinates of the restaurant
(geoparsing and geocoding services are available today). Then, the geodata record will be registered
as described above.
But consider a case in which the Web site
describes several restaurants, each with its own home page (such as www.greatfamilyrestaurants/moms.html).
Even though there will be only one web site for all of the restaurants, it will
be possible to register a distinct geodata record for each home page because
each geodata record contains one or more complete URLs for the information.
Home pages and domains are not the only
kind of georeferenced information that a business may register. For example, a specialty firm may create and
register a 3D graphics model of each restaurant's locale, with a hyperlink to
the restaurant's home page. Many other
classes of georeferenced information, such as digital maps, aerial images, or
weather data, could be registered in this fashion.
Dynamic
GeoRegistrars. A special
class of GeoRegistrars called Dynamic GeoRegistrars will handle dynamic data,
such as the real-time position of aircraft or weather systems. We envision a Dynamic GeoRegistrar as a
trusted agent that will maintain the real-time location (and other attributes)
of the object. Each object in the
Dynamic Registrar will have a unique ID such as aircraft-xxx, where xxx will be an
encryption of the aircraft's identification number. The purpose of encrypting this information will be to create a
unique ID for each aircraft without publicly specifying the aircraft to which
it corresponds (for security reasons).
This unique ID could be represented as a domain name, such as aircraft-xxx.id.geo, though this is not
necessary.
For example, an aircraft equipped with
GPS receivers and secure wireless Internet access could periodically contact
the Dynamic GeoRegistrar (or the server delegated to its unique domain name) to
update its current location, velocity, and other attributes. This information could then be used to
update the geographic coordinates (and other attributes) in the corresponding
geodata record in the .geo hierarchy, and, when necessary, transfer the geodata
record to a new cell. This dynamic
geodata can then be used for many purposes, including air traffic analysis and
providing global near-real-time maps of air traffic. Of course, the aircraft could in turn use .geo to download or
access localized flight/airspace support information.
In the case of weather data, the Dynamic
GeoRegistrar might be the National Weather Service, which maintains real-time
weather maps or storm locations. As in
the example above, the Dynamic GeoRegistrar would periodically update the
corresponding geodata record and, when necessary, transfer it to a new cell.
Note
that, in general, the attributes publicly available in the geodata record (such
as the location of the aircraft) may not be as accurate as the information in
the Dynamic GeoRegistrar, for security reasons. Other information that is available in the Dynamic GeoRegistrar
(such as the owner of the aircraft) may not be placed in the geodata record at
all, or may be specified via a secure URL.
Validation
of Data. To ensure the
accuracy and validity of certain classes of data for certain purposes (such as
elevation data used for city planning purposes), the geodata record will have a
field for one or more optional validation
certificates issued by validation
organizations. The digitally signed
certificate will certify that one or more elements of the geodata/data meet
certain qualifications, such as accuracy or completeness, or compliance with
local, national, or international standards or conventions. An organization authorized by the Data
Provider to provide validations will be able to issue a validation certificate
for geodata offered by the Data Provider.
Data
Discovery. Users who
wish to discover data for a given area will use either a .geo search engine Web
site within a standard Web browser, a plugin, or a specialized
application. In any case, the user will
specify a query (e.g., all train stations within walking distance of a given
location); the system will then compute the cell(s) that cover the query,
choose a GeoRegistry, and transmit the search query to the corresponding cell
servers. The cell server(s) will
respond with a list of all geodata records that satisfy the search query. Where appropriate, the system will download
the data referenced by the URLs in the geodata records and integrate these data
into a view. This view could be a list
of URLs ordered by distance from a point, or as a set of icons on a map, or as
a set of 3D models with hyperlinks integrated into a 3D scene.
Benefits
.geo
will be an Ever-Expanding, Dynamic, Universal Atlas of Georeferenced
Information. Unlike proprietary mapping systems, the .geo
schema will distribute the responsibility for locating georeferenced
information, putting its control squarely in the hands of Data Providers rather
than self-appointed second and third party intermediaries. Because .geo will be able to demarcate very
small as well as very large geographical regions, Data Providers will be able
to offer information that meets the needs of highly focused searches as well as
more general explorations. (For
example, a Data Provider may want to provide information about a single location
even a single building in which it does business, rather than count on its
being included on some other entity's map or list.)
With .geo, individuals and organizations
that cannot now afford to have their information made searchable by location
(especially with search engine providers now charging extravagantly for the
privilege) will be able to do so. .geo
will greatly increase the population of
Data Providers and thus the cumulative value of the Internet by
enabling virtually any individual or organization to offer georeferenced
information in a way that will make it discoverable by and useful to every user
of the Internet.
Network Advantages. Since end users' client software will be directed to the cells for given geographic areas, single points of failure or congestion will be eliminated. Additionally, cell servers will be less likely to fail because, unlike conventional network servers, they will have reduced storage and throughput requirements: the information they contain will be geographically bounded.
Moreover, because each server can
physically be located near or within the defined limits of its cell, overall
load distribution for the global .geo network will be exceptionally balanced
and even. In the early stages of .geo,
many domain names initially can be assigned to single servers. For example, domain names acme.10e30n.geo, acme.10e40n.geo, and acme.20e30n.geo
can initially all be delegated to a single server. As demand increases, the load can be transparently distributed by
redelegating the names to distinct servers.
The .geo network of cell servers will be dynamic and scalable, always on
and always available to a great number of users.
The .geo-enabled Internet will be more
robust than the current Internet. .geo
will enhance the Internet's overall performance and will help allocate its
resources more intelligently. By
enabling end users to search for and discover information more efficiently in
the way users prefer, rather than the way current search engines require .geo
will eliminate redundant searching on the Internet, reducing the burden
searching imposes.
Enforcing Standards, Protocols, and Performance Criteria
The distributed nature of the infrastructure will demand that all GeoRegistries within the hierarchy adhere to well-defined standards and protocols for the publication and discovery of geodata. In an open forum that includes GeoRegistries, GeoRegistrars, Data Providers, international standards organizations, and, most important, end users, the Sponsor will define the standards, protocols, and minimum performance criteria for GeoRegistries. These standards and services will evolve over time as new services emerge that fit naturally into this new hierarchy.
The gTLD Registry (in close cooperation with ICANN) will be responsible for accrediting both the GeoRegistries and GeoRegistrars, ensuring that they correctly use the Sponsor-defined standards and protocols, and meet the Sponsor-defined performance criteria.
Conclusion
As a new top-level domain, .geo will provide a unique paradigm for harnessing the power of the Internet. .geo will be based on the way human beings perceive and comprehend their world: geospatially, in three dimensions, and over time. .geo will enable Internet users to navigate, access, and visualize georeferenced data as they would in a physical world, but without the barriers imposed by space and time in the physical world. It makes the world knowable as never before.
Glossary
Accreditor
(short for GeoRegistry/GeoRegistrar accreditation agency): an agency designated
by the Sponsor to apply the accreditation criteria defined by the Sponsor to
GeoRegistries and GeoRegistrars.
Brand
Name (short for cell server brand name ): the component of a
domain name in the .geo hierarchy that represents the name of a GeoRegistry,
such as the "X" in X.30e40n.geo.
Cell: an
area, bounded by latitude and longitude lines on four sides, defined by a
geographic domain name in the .geo hierarchy, such as 3e4n.10e50n.geo.
Cell
Server: a server assigned to a cell, identified by a cell server
domain name such as X.3e4n.10e50n.geo.
Note that there must be one or more cell servers per cell. If only one cell server exists for a given cell,
it must have the default brand name earth.
Data
Provider: any individual or organization with georeferenced
information, who wishes to register the corresponding geodata in a GeoRegistry.
Default
Brand Name (short for default cell server brand name ): the special
brand name, such as mercury, venus, earth, moon, mars, that denotes
the default GeoRegistry for a planet.
Other cell server brand names always refer to the planet Earth.
Default
Cell Server: a cell server with a default brand name. Other cell server brand names always refer
to the planet Earth. If there is only
one cell server for a given cell, that server must have the default brand name
earth.
Dynamic
GeoRegistrar: a GeoRegistrar that maintains dynamic georeferenced
information and periodically updates the corresponding geodata in a
GeoRegistry.
Geocoding: the
process of translating a description of a location (such as a geoparsed street
address) to a geographical coordinate, such as longitude and latitude.
Geodata: the
specialized form of metadata for georeferenced data used in the .geo hierarchy
and stored in GeoRegistries.
Geographic
Domain Name: the component of a domain name in the .geo hierarchy that
specifies a cell, such as 3e7n.10e20n.geo.
Geoparsing: the
process of parsing a string, such as a street address, into its components in
preparation for geocoding.
GeoRegistry: a
distributed set of cell servers, maintained by a single organization, in which
geodata is stored and retrieved. A
GeoRegistry is identified by its brand name in the .geo hierarchy, such as the
acme in acme.3e4n.10e50n.geo.
GeoRegistrar: an
organization that registers (and often creates or validates) geodata in a
GeoRegistry on behalf of data providers.
GeoRegistrars may offer their services via a Web interface, bulk
geoparsing and geocoding of specialized databases, or other means.
Georeferenced
Information: any information, digital or otherwise, about an object or
process with a corresponding geographic location or area.
Metadata: an
abstraction, or summary, of data.
Name
Schema: an XML file that specifies the structure and naming
convention for cells and brand names in the .geo hierarchy.
Validation
Certificate: an optional, digitally signed certificate issued by a
validation organization. It certifies
that one or more elements of the geodata/data meet certain qualifications, such
as accuracy or completeness.
Validation
Organization (validator): an
organization that issues validation certificates. Any organization authorized by the data provider can issue a
validation certificate against geodata/data owned by the data provider.