Important dates for the New gTLD program have been announced.

The main topic of the 42nd ICANN International Conference, held in Dakar at the end of October, was the New gTLD program, which will soon allow the creation of an unlimited number of top-level domains using a simplified procedure.

During the conference, new launch dates and a program schedule were announced. According to these, applications for the New gTLD system can be submitted until March 29, 2012. All applications must be completed by April 12. A review of their accuracy will be conducted over the next two months. The list of proposed domains will be published on the ICANN website on May 1, 2012. Beginning at that point, public comments and objections will be accepted for each of the newly created domain zones. Also, starting May 1, the ICANN Governmental Committee will be able to express its position on the applications in accordance with established procedures.

The initial evaluation, which begins on June 12, will take five months. Its results will be announced on November 12. The extended evaluation of applications will begin on December 1, 2012. Concurrently, the delegation process for approved domains will take place, which will take between two and five months. Applications submitted for the extended evaluation process must be completed by April 30, 2013. Therefore, the first round of the New gTLD system will conclude in spring 2014. What happens next remains unclear.