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I did some Googling.

The application window is expected to open on 12 January 2012.

The user registration period closes at 23:59 UTC 29 March 2012.

Is it still possible to apply for a new TLD domain?

I can find some data but it is from 2012...

What if I want to create a new TLD in 2017?

(2016 not realistic as I'd have to raise some £$€)

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  • I hate to tell you, 2017 is not realistic either. The cost in establishing a TLD is well within the many many millions of dollars. The fee is the smallest part of the process. Building the required infrastructure alone makes it cost prohibitive. The required personnel costs is staggering. The equipment required will make you cringe. Expertise something that few have.
    – closetnoc
    Oct 3, 2016 at 0:39
  • Outsourcing / Royalty / Partnership / Joint Venture. Partner with existing TLD provider and offer them 5% of each sale... Since they massively invested in their infrastructure they might be willing to recoup some the costs. Not possible because of other matters - see the response from ICANN.
    – Mars Robertson
    Oct 3, 2016 at 7:03
  • 100% responsibility, 100% infrastructure costs, 100% personnel costs, 100% liability, for 5% gain? I do not think so. I am a retired consultant for all of the major telecoms globally. I have been working with the Internet including router code in the early days. I have been a core network engineer across many backbones, managing name servers, e-mail, web, etc. There is no way any telecom would take this task on with control and ownership. In today's money, you are talking somewhere north of 50 million.
    – closetnoc
    Oct 3, 2016 at 15:12
  • Respect your opinion. I still believe there are some ways of structuring the deal to minimise the risk and ensure profits for all involved parties. 5% was "from top of my head" figure as the cost or running the software is negligibly small... But yeah - support, maintenance, customer service - we should account for that 😎 @closetnoc you are hired!
    – Mars Robertson
    Oct 3, 2016 at 20:37
  • Be creative. You may probably achieve your exact same expectations with "just" a second level domain name, without having your own TLD.
    – Patrick Mevzek
    Apr 10, 2018 at 17:18

2 Answers 2

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Response from ICANN.

Unfortunately I can not.

Thank you for contacting the ICANN Global Support Center.

The application window for the current round of new gTLDs closed in 2012. At this time, we are still processing applications from this round and dates for the next round have not yet been set.

You can stay informed of the latest program news--including announcements of future application rounds--by visiting our website, http://newgtlds.icann.org. Additionally, you can create a MyICANN account and initiate personalized up to date notifications and reminders. To create a MyICANN account, please visit the following page https://myicann.org/user/register.

Through the new Generic Top-Level (gTLD) program, any established public or private organization anywhere in the world can apply to create and operate a new gTLD registry. Please note, however, that applying for a new gTLD is not the same as buying a domain name. An applicant for a new gTLD is, in fact, applying to create and operate a registry business supporting the Internet's domain name system. This involves a number of significant responsibilities, as the operator of a new gTLD is running a piece of visible Internet infrastructure. Applicants will need to demonstrate the operational, technical and financial capability to run a registry and comply with additional specific requirements.

For the current round, the evaluation fee for each new gTLD application was $185,000 (USD), and additional fees may have been incurred based on the application path taken.

For detailed information about the application process, including requirements and fees, see the gTLD Applicant Guidebook: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb. (Note that requirements and fees are subject to change in future rounds.)

You may also visit the new gTLD Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information. https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/global-support/faqs/faqs-en

If you like to know more about ICANN, please visit http://learn.icann.org. ICANN Learn is an online learning platform requested by and built for the global ICANN community. Courses cover the basics of what ICANN does, basic web skills, how to get involved with ICANN, and more.

We hope this information was of assistance to you, this case will now be resolved. Please contact us if you have additional questions.

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2

No, you need to wait for the following Round to submit an application. It is unrealistic to provide a date yet but there are rumors.

When it is possible, the entire domain name press will talk about it and the info will be published on the ICANN website: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/. I suggest to subscribe to the gTLD.club Newsletter too.

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