Creation of new website domain suffixes by ICANN
Posted By Enock Kiprono on June 20, 2011 at 7:11am | Blog, Domain Names
According to BBC, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted to allow creation of new website domain suffixes.
Historical Decision
It is reported that Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s president and chief executive officer said “Icann has opened the Internet’s addressing system to the limitless possibilities of the human imagination”. Mr. Beckstrom added that “ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,”
What does this mean to the Web Industry! Well, the internet address names will be able to end with almost any word, and be in any language. For instant, domain name can end with .africa, .infoken, .kenya, .safaricom, .google
The application process will be starting on 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012. This is truly a historical decision taken by ICANN taking in consideration that we are currently only using 22 generic top-level domains (gTLDs) e.g. .com, .net, .org, .asia
Cost
To acquire a generic top-level domain, one will be required to pay ICANN $185,000 or Ksh. 15,725,000. With such a hefty price tag this will only leave established public or private organizations to apply. ICANN will also take into consideration the technical capabilities of each applicant before being given the generic top-level domains.
But there are issues that will need to be monitored such as security, stability and resiliency of the Internet once ICANN decision takes effect.
Do you welcome such a decision made by ICANN or do you think this move can be a double edged sword?
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Posted by Enock Kiprono
