New Top-Level Domain Applicant Group

The New Top-Level Domain Applicant Group (or NTAG) is an interest group formed under Article III.D. of the Charter of the gTLD Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG). The primary role of the NTAG is to represent the interests of entities that applied for a new gTLD(s) in ICANN’s 2012 gTLD round. The NTAG represents the views of its members to the RySG, the GNSO Council, the ICANN Board of Directors, and other influential bodies.

All applicants who have applied in the 2012 gTLD round are eligible for membership. Upon delegation of their string(s) to the ICANN root, they will be eligible for full membership in the RySG.

NTAG & ICANN

In September 2012, NTAG addressed a letter to ICANN staff, summarizing the consensus support of NTAG members on the increase of support for and communication with new gTLD applicants. They stressed the following points as important during application review and processing of new gTLDs:

• ICANN conducts regularly scheduled webinars
• ICANN takes comments from applicants prior to making new decisions related to new gTLDs
• ICANN publishes and updates a process dashboard or scorecard regularly
• ICANN conducts applicant surveys to gather additional information for refining processes
• ICANN designates a new gTLD Applicant Liaison to interact with the community
• ICANN Staff and Board members discuss appropriate interactions with applicants
• NTAG requests that ICANN's new gTLD Program Director regularly attends NTAG teleconferences to provide updates
• NTAG supports a September 1 letter submitted by the RySG Timelines and Milestones

NTAG also wrote a letter to the IN CEO, Board, and gTLD Program Commitee Chair expressing that they found an extended objection period beyond ICANN's established January 13th, 2013 date would be unnecessary.

Current Officers

• Jon Nevett, Donuts Inc., Chair
• Bill Doshier, dotStrategy Co., Vice Chair
• Tim Switzer, DotGreen Community Inc., Treasurer
• Krista Papac, Aremi Group, Secretary

NTAG Teams

In September 2012, NTAG formed three new teams, responsible for monitoring developments within their area, updating memberships, and offering comment to the ICANN community as they deemed necessary. This resulted in eight total teams, broken down as follows:

• Team 1: Overall New gTLD Timeline Including GAC Issues & ANA
• Team 2: Batching/Sequencing/Metering
• Team 3: 1000/year Rated Delegation Limit
• Team 4: Operational Improvements
• Team 5: Monthly Newsletter
• Team 6: ICANN Survey
• Team 7: Objection Period Response
• Team 8: 1 and 2 Character Names