ICANN ‘planning second application window for gTLDs’

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is planning a second round of its generic top-level domain name (gTLD) regime, it has been reported.

According to the Hindu, ICANN has faced calls from businesses to give them another opportunity to acquire a gTLD.

Some organizations have said the current 90-day application window – which ends on April 12th 2012 – has come too soon for them to make a submission.

But should they be given another opportunity in the future, these firms would like to apply for a generic domain name.

ICANN has not set a date for a second application window, with the timescale for implementation of the first batch of gTLDs still uncertain.

The first of the new gTLDs are set to launch later in the year, providing ICANN does not face any further obstacles during the evaluation and implementation stages.

Currently domain name applicants are limited to just 22 gTLDs, such as .com, .net and .org. and a range of country codes.