The registration period for generic to level domain names (gTLDs) opens in little over a month’s time.
From January 12th until April 12th, businesses and organizations will be able to apply to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers for personalized domain name suffixes.
Subject the ICANN agreement, and the payment of a $185,000 application fee, companies will be able to secure gTLDs containing their own brand name.
Despite opposition to the gTLD plan from organizations such as the Association of National Advertisers, the change is set to be enforced.
As such, businesses will have significantly more options to choose from when registering a domain name in future.
Currently, registrants can choose between 22 TLDs – such as .com, .net and .info – and a further 200-odd country code TLDs depending on their geographic location.
But for those willing and able to pay for a gTLD – approved by ICANN – there will be no such restrictions.