New extensions: they were born 10 years ago!
Birth of the new extensions: 10 years ago…
The first ‘new extension’ was launched around ten years ago. Today more than 600 new extensions, or ngTLDs for New Generic Top-Level Domain, have been created!
So what is a new extension, what does it consist of and how does it come into being? Find out all the answers to these questions…
Launch of the ngTLDs : ICANN’s first round
The Internet is regulated by an authority called ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). With a large number of functions and responsibilities, ICANN’s role includes managing the domain name system.
This means that it is the same authority that decides many things about domain names and extensions. As you can probably guess: ICANN decides whether or not to open ngTLDs!
The first new extension launched in sunrise was .شبكة (or .SHABAKA in Latin characters) meaning ‘internet’ in Arabic, on October 2013.
But how are the new extensions created?
ICANN uses rounds to give interested organisations the opportunity to launch their own extension. The very first ICANN round took place in 2012, allowing interested organisations to submit their applications for the creation of ngTLDs. This is actually a period during which ICANN authorises the submission of new applications for generic TLDs.
It takes about 3 months to submit an application before it’s too late! Once this period has elapsed, the applications are meticulously studied by ICANN before a favourable or unfavourable response is given to the project…
Although the application fee was around of $185,000 for the first round of applications in 2012, it should be borne in mind that the money invested can simply be… lost! In addition to this sum, there are the recurring and annual costs associated with the ICANN contract, the costs associated with the technical management of the extension and the costs associated with assistance in drafting the application.
If an application is rejected, there is a system of degressive refund for the organisation that submitted the application. The earlier the application is rejected, the more the organisation will be refunded. Conversely, the further the application is in the examination process, the lower the refund is.
Submitting an application to ICANN is therefore a step that should be seriously considered: it is extremely costly and there is no guarantee that the application will be accepted!
New extensions: the different types
There are several types of new extensions:
- open extensions
- semi-restricted/semi-closed extensions
- restricted/closed extensions
The opened extensions
So-called ‘open’ extensions are accessible to everyone. It is now possible to register a multitude of extensions in non-Latin characters such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, etc… This greatly opens up the field of possibilities for all individuals using an alphabet with non-Latin characters.
These open extensions include generic extensions such as .ART, .BEST, .PIZZA, etc., all of which have a central theme in common. This is an excellent way of showing that you belong to a specific topic directly from your domain name.
The semi-restricted/semi-enclosed estensions
In addition to open extensions, there are also so-called ‘semi-restricted’ or ‘semi-closed’ extensions. These have the particularity of bringing together a very specific target group around a topic, while at the same time having certain restrictions. These restrictions make these extensions semi-restricted.
These include geographical extensions such as .NYC, .BERLIN, .LONDON, etc…
There are also more sector-specific extensions such as .BANK, .LAW and .MUSIC.
The restricted/closed extensions
The so-called ‘restricted’ or ‘closed’ extensions are reserved exclusively for brands that own their own TLD, as is the case for .AIRBUS, .APPLE or .SONY.
Evolution of new extensions over the years
As mentioned above, we know that over 600 new extensions have been created to date. While many of these have been successful, unfortunately it is not the same issue for all of them.
In fact, some of the 1,930 applications received by ICANN were ultimately unsuccessful… The reason for this is quite simply that the project associated with the extension in question was abandoned, which happens when the organisation behind the project no longer knows what to do with it…
This is what happened with the .LOREAL, .HEINZ and .CHEVROLET extensions for example.
On the other hand, other extensions had a different fate, having simply been bought up by another organisation! This is notably the case for .BEST, but also for 4 extensions previously held by the L’Oréal brand: .BEAUTY, .HAIR .MAKEUP and .SKIN.
Round 2 of ICANN
The next ICANN round will take place in April 2026. There will therefore be a period of 12 to 15 weeks in which to submit your application… But not at the same price as in the first round! For this new round, you will have to plan for higher application fees, in the region of $250,000, to which you will also have to add a technical evaluation fee of $92,000 (which is likely to have a major impact on the amount you will be asked to pay the back end company in charge of your future extension). An application to think about carefully… 🤑
🗓️ If you would like to find out more, take a look at the timetable announced by ICANN for the next round.
And finally: 2 special offers not to be missed!
.XYZ is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has a surprise for you…
To mark its 10th anniversary, the .XYZ extension is on special offer! 🎁
Take advantage of a 95% discount on the registration of your .XYZ domain name until the end of the year. Now is the time to take advantage! 🎉
The .BEST extension is on special offer
Give the best of yourself with .BEST! The extension is on sale for just €1 excluding VAT! At such a low price, it would be a shame to miss out…
