ICANN has officially and irrevocably confirmed that the next phase of the new domain program will proceed, if not as initially planned for the second quarter of 2026, then at least in the foreseeable future. While applications for new domains are not yet open, registration is now officially available for two programs that will play a key role in the second phase.
The first of these is the Applicant Support Program (ASP), through which ICANN has allocated $10 million to subsidize applications from countries with developing or transitional economies. However, the criteria are broad enough that even applicants from countries with robust economies, such as China or South Korea, may also be eligible for subsidies.
Another requirement for participation in the ASP program is that the applicant must be registered as a non-profit organization. If these conditions are met, the applicant can receive a discount of 75% to 85% on the application fee, which currently stands at around $227,000. Applications for the program will be accepted until November 19, 2025.
The second program, the Registry Service Provider Evaluation Program (RSP), is aimed at companies interested in offering their services as technical operators for new domain zones. If their application is approved, these companies will be added to the ICANN-approved list, from which new domain applicants can select an operator. According to Domain Incite, applications for the RSP program are open until May 20, 2025. However, there will also be a second stage, which will begin alongside the registration of applications for the new generic top-level domains.
