Last week, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced the delegation and technical availability of the first new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). These four are all non-Latin strings: شبكة (Arabic for “Web/Network“), онлайн (Russian for “online″), сайт (Russian for ″Site″) and 游戏 (Chinese for ″Game(s)″). We spoke to Werner Staub, CORE Executive Committee Member, about why the introduction of the gTLDs represents a small revolution.
Mr. Staub, what is special about the new TLDs in comparison to the already existing domains?
What’s new is the environment which allowed the introduction. Previously ICANN chose new TLDs, and the notion was that only a small number could be introduced. That was the case for the “New gTLD Rounds” in 2000 and 2004. From 2005 work began on creating conditions for a long-range introduction of new TLDs which would proceed without ICANN making the choices, and without a limitation on what kind of TLDs they should be. The development of the conditions experienced enormous delays and took until the beginning of 2012.
By mid-2012, 1900 applications had been placed – many more than had been expected in 2005 – and then the question arose as to whether it was even possible to undertake an implementation of this magnitude without radically changing the envisaged process.
The introduction (“Root Server Delegation”) of the first TLDs from the 2012 new gTLD Round can therefore be seen as confirmation that the 2012 Round is now definitely going ahead. Of course, this does not exclude the possibility of delays in different parts of the program. What is really is interesting is that the first IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) gTLDs have been created, which will hopefully simplify the use of Internet names for non-Latin writing systems.
ICANN’s Akram Atallah speaks of the greatest change for the Internet since its introduction. How do you see it?
You could certainly say that, although the historians can probably argue with it. I would personally take the introduction of the World Wide Web as a greater change than the current introduction of many new TLDs.
One similarity is striking, however: When, around 1993, normal, not Internet specialized, firms started to become aware of the Web, it was often misunderstood as a toy. After this, a confusing period of speculation began.
Initially, only a few new gTLDs are being delegated. How many more are planned?
There are at least another 1,000 further TLDs that should be created from the 2012 Round. However, many of these are so-called “exclusive use TLDs”, whose applicants not in a particular hurry. As a result, it could take a long time until the 2012 new gTLD Round ends. In my view, the important results from the round can already be analyzed and there is no reason to wait before beginning the next round.
How exactly will it proceed now – that is to say, when can people apply for the new domains?
It would be most sensible to prepare now for the 2014 Round. But I don’t expect that will get through. The earliest variant that seems to me to be politically realizable at the moment would be a 2015 Round.
