dotShabaka Diary — Day 22, Sunrise has gone live!
In this penultimate entry in the dotShabaka Diary series, dotShabaka general manager Yasmin Omer officially announces the launch of the Sunrise period for شبكة., the first new gTLD to enter this phase.
Saturday 2 November 2013
It’s with great pleasure that I can finally say that we are the first new gTLD Registry Operator to commence its Sunrise Period! I’m truly excited about taking this TLD to the Arabic speaking world and revolutionising their Internet experience. So what’s happened since the last entry?
We received, and responded to, the TLD on-boarding Information Request from ICANN. New gTLD Registry Operators (and their Registry Services Providers) should be prepared to promptly provide ICANN with technical information regarding:
- The Registry Operator’s provision of the zone file access service;
- Bulk thin registration data access to ICANN;
- Data Escrow – Registry Reporting Interface;
- Implementation of the URS system;
- EPP extensions for the TLD; and
- EPP SLA Monitoring.
We requested the registration of our IDN Table on the IANA Repository of IDN Practices.
We obtained approval of our TLD Startup Information from ICANN. It’s certainly clear from our interactions with ICANN that the process of, and the requirements for, obtaining IBM’s acceptance of Sunrise dates and ICANN’s approval of TLD Startup Information, is yet to be defined. As a result, there was a delay in obtaining ICANN’s approval of our TLD Startup Information.
If you’re a new gTLD Registry Operator and you want your TLD Startup Information approved quickly, here are some tips:
- Once you have a fair idea of when your Sunrise will commence (could be before you’re delegated), reach out to IBM independently and request a number of potential dates. The team at IBM has been very responsive by promptly accepting our Sunrise dates.
- Include your eligibility policy for general registration with your TLD Startup Information. Yes, ICANN has explicitly stated that this is not a requirement they have imposed but it seems that they need it.
- Remember that ICANN’s review is a legal review. Ensure that your policies very clearly demonstrate your compliance with the relevant requirements. Use diagrams.
- Be prepared to respond to ICANN or IBM at any time – they’re both on opposite sides of the world to each other. ICANN thankfully ensure that the process is interactive, so be prepared to interact.
Good luck to everyone. We look forward to being joined by many more New gTLD Registry Operators in Sunrise.
Read previous and future diary entries here.
Yasmin, thanks for your reports and congratulations on your Sunrise! May I ask about your registrar strategy for Sunrise? You haven’t mentioned your approach in your previous or this diary entry. Best regards from an IDN fellow-traveller.
By starting the sunrise period before any registrars have signed up and made the TLD available, isn’t that a in effect shortage of the sunrise period ?
Rubens,
I am not sure I understand the comment/ question. DotShabaka Registry is open for business. Any Registrars that want to connect can. One cannot force them to. ICANN says you must run a Sunrise period for a set period of time. Nothing says that there must be a single registration during that period. It is a simple ROI calculation for each Registrar. I wish every one at DotShabaka Registry well.
During Landrush and General Availabity, there will be registrars, otherwise there will be no point in saying it’s open for business… my point is that the same level of sales channels should be available during sunrise, for it to be called a sunrise.
This is something that we as in industry should do correctly, following a clear intent of the policy, otherwise rules will be imposed upon us and we won’t like them.