The 43d International Conference of ICANN which lasted through 10 to 17 of March 2012 finished in Costa Rica. The representatives of the Coordination Centre for TLD RU and Technical Centre of Internet participated in the Conference.
Following the results of the Conference the Chairman of The ICANN’s Board of Directors Steve Crocker informed that the second round of submitting applications for new gTLDs would be quite possible in “some years”. “It’s likely to happen in some years, but I cannot give the exact date”-says Crocker. The Chairman of the ICANN’s Board of Directors also specified that at first it is necessary to process all applications of the first round. The experience received, as Steve Crocker says, will be taken into consideration before the second round” launch” of applications for new gTLDs.
We remind that it is possible to submit an application for a new gTLD until 12 April 2012. At this the last registration date of new applicants in the online application system is 28 March. At the moment 290 applicants have been registered in the application system. Any registered applicant, as Crocker says, may submit an application for any number of gTLDs - from 1 o 50, or reject such an opportunity. Thus it is impossible to forecast now how many TLDs may appear in the Internet. The actual number of applications is likely to be definite after 12 April. After that the applicants for new TLDs will have to pass proper checks which may take from a few months up to several years.
The Chairman of the ICANN’s Board of Directors also said about the procedure of choosing candidates for the position of ICANN President. Rod Backstorm taking the position at the moment, is going to leave the post in June 2012, when the term of his three year contract expires. At the moment ICANN Special Committee is looking for a new ‘Director of the Internet’. Steve Crocker specified that, perhaps, in May ICANN will introduce a new president of the non –commercial organization to the public.
