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The new gTLD Next Round is really happening as two ICANN programs go live
There’s no going back now. After over a decade of politicking and policy development, ICANN has finally opened the doors to companies that want to participate in the new gTLD program’s Next Round.
You can’t apply for a gTLD yet, but if you think you will and you want it on the cheap, you can now apply to the Applicant Support Program. And if you’re a registry back-end, you can now apply to the Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program.
The RSP program is for companies that want to offer technical services such as an EPP registry or DNS resolution to new gTLD applicants in the Next Round, currently targeted for April 2026.
Companies that qualify under the program will join an a la carte menu of RSPs published by ICANN that applicants can choose from without worrying that they’ll fail their technical evaluation.
The ASP initiative is for applicants themselves, but only those that come from certain countries seen as under-served (actually a very large list) and are registered non-profits.
ICANN has set aside $10 million for the ASP and expects to offer up to 45 applicants a discount of between 75% and 85% on the base application fee, which is expected to be $227,000.
The window to apply for ASP support is open now and closes November 19 next year. The RSP program is accepting applications until May 20, but the opportunity will reopen during the new gTLD application window the following year.
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