ICANN gTLD Timeline

A couple of people emailed me in private to ask the timeline for ICANN’s gTLD program rollout. I did a search, and I was able to find a pdf with the scheduled timeline (ICANN pdf). Keep in mind that the schedule was published at ICANN 41 in Singapore, which was held in June of 2011.

The next major date for the gTLD program is January 12, 2012. On January 12, the application window opens for interested parties who wish to apply for a gTLD. I would imagine that companies who apply for the same TLD will be encouraged to work together to form a joint entity application or work something out. I would also imagine there will be deals cut to try and reduce the number of applications for the same TLD.

Following the application period, the next important date on the gTLD calendar will be April 12, 2012 when the application window closes. The timeline suggests that applications will be published as soon as 15 days after this window has closed, although it may take longer to do so. I am not sure if the applications will be published publicly or just for the internal ICANN community.

The timeline is a bit vague after that, but it gives you an idea about the initial process.

I would not be surprised to see politicking in an effort to delay the program, but as of right now, it looks like things are set to go as planned.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

3 COMMENTS

  1. Link should work now: dakar42.icann.org/meetings/dakar2011/presentation-new-gtld-program-activities-23oct11-en.pdf The applications will be published publicly on May 1

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

Resolved: No Sound Notification for Email on iPhone 16

0
I've been dealing with a frustrating iPhone issue for a while. I don't recall when it started, but my sound notifications have not been...

Rick Schwartz Responds to Digital Citizens Alliance Report

11
Bill Hartzer wrote an article about a report issued by a group called Digital Citizens Alliance that was critical of domain investing. This is...

Sponsor our 2025 PMC Domain Industry Jersey

1
John Berryhill, my wife Karen, and I are raising funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute via the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge ride in August. Together, we...

Atom.com Transfer Center Status Meanings

0
I frequently see people posting screenshots of their domain name sales on Atom. There are different messages overlaid on the images of the logo...

Escrow.com: 2025 Master of Domains

1
Escrow.com announced the winners of its 2025 Master of Domains awards. The awards are typically given out during NamesCon, but the conference isn't being...