Technical infrastructure can handle 1,000 new TLDs a year, but there will be other bottlenecks.
One of the interesting things to come from ICANN’s closed door board retreat over the weekend is this tidbit: ICANN thinks it can delegate up to 1,000 top level domain names a year without technical root scaling problems.
Staff has also developed a model and a rationale for the maximum rate of applications that can be processed over the next few years. Staff is directed to publish this model and rationale and to seek Board support for the judgments embodied in this model, thereby providing a firm basis for limiting the rate of new delegations. Based on the discussions to date, this limit is expected to be in the range of 1,000 new delegations per year, with this number to be defined precisely in the publication.
A bigger question might be if ICANN’s application queue can handle that many new top level domain name applications — it has been suggested previously that it can only handle about 300 a year through the process.
Some ICANN constituents, including Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), have asked ICANN to limit the number of TLDs approved as the system is opened. But their request seems to be based more on concerns about controversial TLDs and unforeseen political problems than root scaling. Something tells me 1,000 is a lot more than GAC is hoping for.
What if more than 1,000 applications are received for the first year? ICANN wants a way to prioritize them, and it’s not based on time stamps:
…in the event that the number of applications exceeds the maximum rate, an objective method for determining the order of application processing that conforms to the limited delegation rate (not relying primarily on time-stamping) will be defined in the Applicant Guidebook.
todaro says
well i hope they do… it will allow the board of directors to raise their salaries through the roof. and if their are enough tld’s it will make a 12 digit ip number easier to remember than a domain… and that will be good for dotcom.
Duane says
“the limited delegation rate (not relying primarily on time-stamping) will be defined in the Applicant Guidebook”
Is this a indication of oficially promoting brivery? No first come first serve, but more of a ” Who ever pay’s highest get’s the deal?”
Sorry, but all this BS coming from ICANN is becoming more and more criminal like, than being a legal business oportunity/proposal.
David J Castello says
I’ll make the popcorn.
TheBigLieSociety says
“I’ll make the popcorn.”
POP.CORN ?
How about that .corn TLD – looks like .com
Caitlin - BrandBucket says
Nice short little post. Great comment above about it being good for the .com
M. Menius says
1000? What a nice even number.
TheBigLieSociety says
Some theatrics may also be needed, similar to the NFL Draft.
Also, with 1000 Registrars each one could have a First.Round.Pick
With 1000 known “desired” TLDs there could also be a list of picks for the Registrars, similar to the inventory of college athletes.
…drum roll…”next up…the My.Daddy.Registrar selects”… [redacted]
DomainersChoice.com says
How long did it take ICANN to decide on .xxx ? They might technically be able to handle 1000, but for sure not on the administration side of things. I also doubt they will get 1000 new TLDs within a couple of years.
Ed Muller says
Let me just ask one silly stupid question. I know we could all kind of care less about .web but why was it in 1995 Icann “couldn’t possibly handle another root tld” and now we can handle “over 1,000 easily”?
DomainersChoice.com says
Because now they need more money for the ICANN meetings. Almost $2 million budget for the next one in the USA