What are new gTLDs?
The term "gTLD" stands for "generic top-level domain". A top-level domain is the term "after the dot" in an Internet domain name - the most famous of which is "com" as in dotcom. The "generic" part of gTLD refers to a particular category of TLD - those that *aren't* domains that are attached to a specific country such as .de for Germany, .uk for the United Kingdom, or .nl for the Netherlands.
There are currently 22 gTLDs ranging from .asia to .travel. The first six - including .com, .mil and .gov - were introduced in 1985. This list was increased by seven from 2001 when ICANN ran a process for expanding the gTLD space. Among the new entrants were: .biz, .info and .name. That list was further increased in a second round of six additions that began in 2005.
In many ways, the extensions in 2001 and 2005 were test-beds for a planned liberalisation of the gTLD market sometime in 2008. Lessons learnt from a careful expansion of the Internet have been pulled into a new process that it is hoped we see a vibrant market at the top level of the Internet.
However, there are significant concerns and risks with liberalisation of the Internet's top level: fraud and other criminal behaviour; global misuse of protected terms; an explosion of anti-social or offensive material.
What is ICANN's role?
ICANN is the body that ultimately decides whether a new gTLD can be "entered into the root": i.e. added to the global Internet infrastructure. ICANN has been working on a careful, logical and predictable system to introduce a far greater number of gTLDs into the root than ever before. However, the issues surrounding a large expansion of the Internet's top level are complex and wide-ranging.
ICANN has worked with its constituencies over several years in an effort to arrive at a consensus view on how best to proceed. There remain tensions over who should decide whether a particular new gTLD should be approved.
Resources
- ICANN has a specific webpage for the issue of new gTLDs.
- There is also a processes page that outlines where the issue is up to at the moment.
- And there is a single webpage that covers all the reports produced over the issue.
ICANN has produced a number of reports and reviews of the introduction of new gTLDs. The most recent report can be found here in two parts. The first part [pdf] covers the main report; and the second part [pdf] provides many of the materials used to arrive at the report's conclusions.
There have also been a number of meetings on the issues surrounding new gTLDs. The most recent are linked to below:
- 25 June 2007: GNSO public forum on new gTLDs
- 23 June 2007: New gTLDs working groups meeting