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New gTLD Program

Openness Change Innovation

Since ICANN was founded ten years ago as a not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to coordinating the Internet's addressing system, one of its foundational principles has been to promote competition in the domain-name marketplace while ensuring Internet security and stability. The expansion will allow for more innovation, choice and change to the Internet's addressing system, now constrained by only 21 generic top-level domain names. In a world with 1.5 billion Internet users—and growing—diversity, choice and competition are key to the continued success and reach of the global network.

The decision to launch these coming new gTLD application rounds followed a detailed and lengthy consultation process with all constituencies of the global Internet community. Representatives from a wide variety of stakeholders—governments, individuals, civil society, business and intellectual property constituencies, and the technology community—were engaged in discussions for more than 18 months. In October 2007, the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)—one of the groups that coordinate global Internet policy at ICANN—completed its policy development work on new gTLDs and approved a set of recommendations. Contributing to this policy work were ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) and Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC). The culmination of this policy development process was a decision by the ICANN Board of Directors to adopt the community-developed policy in June 2008 at the ICANN meeting in Paris. A thorough brief to the policy process and outcomes can be found at http://gnso.icann.org/issues/new-gtlds/.

This page is intended to be a central location for resources relating to new gTLDs. As this transition from policy to implementation moves forward, this page will present up-to-date information. Suggestions for other resources and information to be included on this page can be submitted to newgtld@icann.org.

Updates

Previous Updates

Additional Resources

History - GNSO Policy

Sampling of reports examining various aspects of new gTLDs

Previous gTLD Application Rounds

2000
2003

Information about Existing gTLD Registries

Registry Information
Registry Listing
Registry Agreements

Draft Applicant Guidebook

The Draft Applicant Guidebook for new generic top-level domain names (gTLD) is now available for download. We encourage everybody to participate in the public comments http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-en.htm that will take place from October 24 2008 to December 8 2008 UTC. This public comment page was specially created to collect your input on the implementation work reflected on the Guidebook. The accompanying explanatory memoranda has been developed to further explain specific aspects of certain topics within the corresponding Guidebook modules. Potential applicants for new gTLDs should not rely on any of the proposed details of the Draft Guidebook, which remains subject to further consultation and revision.

It's important to point out that all materials are in draft form for public comment and review. The public comment period will last for forty-five (45) days. The guidebook and related memoranda will be made available soon in five (5) additional languages—Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. There will be an opportunity to comment in the additional languages for at least 45 days.

Some areas of the new gTLD program remain under development. These include details on: the duration of each stage of the application; third party service providers that will be part of the evaluation panels and manage the dispute resolution; and fees in addition to the "evaluation fee" that will apply only to some applicants depending on the application path. These areas will be made available for public consultation in the near future.

ICANN expects to engage in a productive and robust dialogue with the Internet community through this consultative process. Staff will review all comments and provide a summary/analysis of comments to help production of the final Applicant Guidebook, to be released early 2009.

Full Draft Applicant Guidebook [PDF, 1,240K]

To view Guidebook organised by modules see http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-en.htm:

Module 1: Introduction to New gTLDs Application Process

Module 2: Evaluation Procedures (including evaluation criteria)

Module 3: Dispute Resolution Procedures

Module 4: String Contention Procedures

Module 5: Transition to Delegation (including the draft registry agreement)

Module 6: Terms and Conditions

 

Accompanying Explanatory Memoranda

This file last modified 17-Nov-2008

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