APIGA 2024

New gT LD Progr am:
Next Roun dJustine Chew
ALAC Vice-Chair & Member
ICANN At-Large

2A G E N DAo Introductiono Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD) & New gTLDso New gTLD Programo Next RoundICANNInternet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers

Introduction

To reach another person on the Internet you have to type anaddress into your computer – a name or a number. That address
must be unique so computers know where to find each other.
ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world.
Without that coordination, we wouldn’t have

one globally interoperable Internet.

M i s s i o n & Ro l e
o Stable, secure and unified global Internet
o Internet’s underlying address book:Domain Name System (DNS)o Internet DNS root zone management:o Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD)o Country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD)o Internet numbering resources

w w w. a t l a r g e . i c a n n . o r g
Anatomy of a Domain NameN e w G e n e r i c To p L e v e l
Domains (gTLD) Program
An Evolution

8→New gTLD Program
Pre
1988

2000

2003

2012

2026

PreICANNTrial
Round

SponsoredRoundNew gTLDRoundNew gTLD
Next Round.com.edu.gov.int.mil.net
.org
.arpa

.aero.biz.coop.info.museum.name.pro.asia.cat.xxx.jobs.mobi.tel.travel.post

1.930 string
applications

Take a guess!

>1,200 TLDs
delegatedto-date

9

2 0 1 2 N ew g T L D Ro u n do Enabled expansion of DNS through New gTLDs
o Bottom-up policy development by ICANN Community
o Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
o GNSO 2007-2008 multi-stakeholder, consensus developed policy
o 2012 Application Round10Examples of New gTLDs
https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-andmedia/case-studies

11N ew g T L D P r o g r a m N ex t Ro u n do Review of 2012 Roundo Bottom-up, consensus policy development
o Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
o Subsequent Procedures – GNSO 2021 multi-stakeholder, consensus
developed policy

o Implementation – Next Round12

Subsequent Procedureso Rules & procedures for Next Roundo Determines what string can be applied for, who can apply, how to apply, what fees arepayable/refundable, terms & conditions, additional requirements for certain types of TLDs etco Address issues, policy goal achievement deficiencies, lacunae, unintended consequences, etc,from 2012 Roundo Legacy TLDs, ccTLDs or delegated New gTLDs or those from 2012 Round exceptedSubsequent Procedures
Po l i c y D ev e l o p m e n t
Process(2014-2020)

New gTLD SubPro Discussion
Group created(Jun 2014)

PDP Charter approved(21 Jan 2016)

PDP WG commenced
with 4 work tracks(circa Feb 2016)

Community Comment2(Mar 2017)

PolicyDevelopment
Process (PDP)
initiated
Community Comment 1(May 2016)(17 Dec 2015)

PDP WG Work Track 5 on Geonames
established

Preliminary Issue
Reportrequested(24 Jun 2015)

Final Issue
Reportconsidered(4 Dec 2015)(22 Oct 2017)

Release ofInitial Report(30 Aug 2018)

PDP WG concludes with releaseof Final Report(by end 2020)

Release of Draft
Final Report(circa Aug 2020)

Release of WT5
Supplemental Initial Report (onGeonames)(14 Jan 2019)

Release of
Supplemental InitialReport(21 Dec 2018)

14

Subsequent Procedures - Scope

CONTRACTING,
PRE-DELEGATION& POSTDELEGATIONOVERARCHING

FOUNDATIONALISSUES

PRE-LAUNCHACTIVITIESAPPLICATIONSUBMISSIONAPPLICATIONPROCESSINGAPPLICATIONEVALUATIONDISPUTERESOLUTIONSTRINGCONTENTIONRESOLUTION

Continuing
Subsequent Pro.

Registry
Commitments

AGB - Applicant
Guidebook

ApplicantSupport Program

App. Change
RequestBlocked &Reserved Names

GAC Advice &Early Warning

Community
Applications

Base Registry
Agreement

Predictability

Universal
AcceptanceCommunications

Fees

Application
Queueing

Geographic
Names

Objections

Auctions, Private
Resolutions

Registrar NonDiscrimination

App’s Assessed inRounds

ApplicantFreedom of Exp.

Systems

Application
Submission Period

Closed Generics

Limited Challenge/ Appeal Mech.

Registrar Support

Terms &Conditions

String Similarity

Dispute Resolution
post Delegation

Registry System
TestingDifferent
TLD Types
Application
Submission Limits

IDNs - Int. Domain
Names

TLD Rollout

RSP Pre-Evaluation

Security & Stability

Second Level
RPMs

Name Collisions

ContractualCompliance••Over 40 topics across over 10 areas ranging from pre-application –application – contracting – pre-delegation – post-delegation.
+ Input from 2 Community Comment and 3 Public Comment processes

Registrant
Protections

Applicant Reviews
Role of App.
Comment15

Impact on End-Userso Much use of the Internet still depends on utilizing domain nameso New gTLD Program aims at enabling expansion of the DNS
o Enhance innovation, competition and consumer choiceo Safeguards to help support a secure, stable and resilient DNS

o Terms & conditions for such operation & use of TLDo Minimization of user confusion risk, abuse risk, collisionso Multi-lingual Internet – the next billion userso Access, trust of domain names - service providers – services, medium etc

16N ew g T L D P r o g r a m N ex t Ro u n dExpansion

Purposive

Multilingualo Innovationo Organizationo Competitiono Communityo Consumer Choiceo Cultureo Internationalized Domain
Names (IDNs) – non-Latinbased scriptso Languageo Customer interests

o Variants (additional policy)

17

N ew g T L D P r o g r a m N ex t Ro u n dApplicant Support
Program (ASP)

Registry ServiceProvider (RSP)gTLD String Application& Evaluation Process

o Support for eligible
entities that demonstrate
financial needo Evaluates registry service
providers’ technicalcapabilities in operatinggTLDo ‘Everything else’o Financial and nonfinancial resourceso RSP critical services

o ASP Handbook

o RSP Handbook

o Applicant Guidebook (AGB)o Target: Q4 2024 – Q42025

o Target: Nov 2024 – May
2025 (for Pre-Evaluation)and Q2 2026 onwards

o Target: Q2 2026

18

Ro a d t o T h e
N ex t Ro u n dProgramCommunications Outreach &Engagement (Mar2023 - ongoing)gTLD APPLICATIONLAUNCH

Community
participation indrafting-ASP Handbook-RSP Evaluation
Program Handbook-Applicant Guidebook(Aug 2024 – ongoing)

ICANN Board Approvalfor ASP Handbook,
RSP Evaluation
Program Handbook
Publication ofHandbooks to launch
ASP and RSP PreEvaluation

ICANN Board
Approval for
Final Applicant
GuidebookQ2 of 2026

Publication of
Final Applicant
Guidebook

ASP APPLICATION LAUNCH
Q4 of 2024

ICANN Board approval ofrecommendations (Mar 2023 ongoing)

GNSO 2021 Consensus Policy (Subsequent Procedures)

RSP PRE-EVALUATION LAUNCH
Nov 2024The real magic of the internet iswhen you are sitting at yourcomputer typing away and you think,'I wonder if anyone else in the worldis doing this right now?' and within
milliseconds, you can find out.
-Vinton Cerf

T H A N K YO U
Justine Chew
justine.chew.icann@gmail.com
www.atlarge.icann.org