The revolution in the domain name system has begun
Today can safely be called a new starting point in the new internet. Today, January 12, ICANN began accepting applications for new top-level domain names. This means that in addition to the familiar domain extensions .COM, .NET, and .UA, others may appear, such as .IBM, .KIEV, and .CANON.
New domains can be anything – company names, brands, cities, or just arbitrary words.
ICANN launched a dedicated websitehttp://newgtlds.icann.org/, explaining the features of the New gTLD program.
Those wishing to obtain a top-level domain (TLD) must complete a 50-question form. This form requires detailed answers about the applicant and the domain. ICANN is currently accepting applications for new domains, and a list of potential new domains will be published in May of this year. Specifically, trademark owners will be able to block the creation of new domains if they infringe their rights.
Registering a new domain is expensive. The application alone costs $185,000, with $5,000 required to be paid before the application is submitted. Furthermore, companies receiving the new domain must pay $25,000 per year for maintenance. A financial plan for maintaining the domain extension and bankruptcy guarantees must be submitted along with the application. Experts estimate the total cost of owning a new gTLD at half a million dollars.
In the event that multiple applications are submitted for the same domain zone, ICANN will offer the parties an opportunity to negotiate or hold an auction.
According to various estimates, the number of applications for new domains could already exceed one hundred, with this number set to grow in the near future. Twenty-five percent of the applications were submitted by major American companies, most of which operate in the retail and banking sectors.
Given that the application review process will take nine months, the first domain extension under the New gTLD Program will not appear until February of next year. In some cases, ICANN may extend the application review period to 20 months.
The launch of the New gTLD program has sparked significant protests among major organizations, businesses, and advertisers. In particular, the International Monetary Fund and 25 other major global organizations submitted a joint statement to ICANN opposing the New gTLD program. Specifically, they believe the new domains could be used to mislead users and be exploited by scammers.
Furthermore, a recent statement from the US Federal Trade Commission stated that expanding the list of top-level domain names "has the potential to increase abuse of the system and exacerbate related problems in finding online fraudsters."
At the same time, ICANN's leadership believes that the creation of a large number of new domain zones is necessary given the active growth of the global Internet audience, as this will allow for the emergence of a large number of new websites.
Let us remind you that there are currently more than 250 national domains and about 20 general-purpose domains (.COM, .ORG, .NET, etc.) operating on the Internet.
It is noteworthy that the new top-level domains can be registered in different languages, for example, .BERLIN or .МОСКВА.
Experts believe that the new domain extensions will be of interest primarily to large companies, as they will be able to expand their online presence with these domains. Furthermore, launching a private domain extension could be a valuable PR move for companies, increasing brand awareness and loyalty.
