ICANN rakes N57.1bn on new gTLDs

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) may have raked in some $357.05 million, about N57.128 billion from the first phase of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs).

DigitalSENSE News investigations revealed that a total of 1,930 strings were applied for in the just concluded first phase of the application progress for the new gTLDs as at June 13, 2012.

Also, it was discovered that each of these attracted the sum of $185,000.00 about N29.6 million per string, hence, a total of N57.128 billion is approximately realised from the 1930 strings.

DigitalSENSE News further discovered that ICANN records indicated that North America led the process with 911, followed by Europe with 675, Asia 303, Latin America and Caribbean got 24, and Africa got 17 applications only.

As a result, the North American applications boosted ICANN treasury by $168.535million, about N26.965 billion; Europe, $124.875 million, about N19.98billion; Asia $56.05 million, about N8.968 billion; Latin America and Carribean’s quota was N710,400,000; and Africa, $3.145 million about N503.2 million, which brought the total down to $357.05 million, which is some N57.128 billion      .

Further digging into ICANN’s account book by DigitalSENSE News, shows that in the 2012 consolidated budget for this Financial Year, ICANN has Registry fixed fees at $18,091,000, registry transaction fees at $16,662,000, which brought the registry total fees to $34,753,000.

Although ICANN registrar application fees is expected to revolve around $140,000, accreditation fees has been budgeted at $3,600,000, while as the registrar variables fees was matched at $3,420,000; and registrar transaction fees at $23,742,000, thus bringing the total to $30,902,000.

In addition, ICANN has budgeted the sum of $27,565,000 for the new generic Top Level Domain application fees, regional Internet registry (RIR), $823,000, country code Top Level Domain – $1,600,000, International Domain Name (IDN) for the ccTLD, $780,000, while meeting sponsorships was budgeted $900,000.

Meanwhile, ICANN presently is formally organized as a non-profit corporation “for charitable and public purposes” under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. It is managed by a 16-member Board of Directors, which is composed of eight members selected by a Nominating Committee on which all the constituencies of ICANN are represented; six representatives of its 

Supporting Organizations, sub-groups that deal with specific sections of the policies under ICANN’s purview; an At-Large seat filled by an At-Large Organization; and the President cum chief executive officer (CEO), appointed by the Board.

DigitalSENSE News notes there are currently three Supporting Organizations, namely the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) which deals with policy making on generic top-level domains (gTLDs); the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) which deals with policy making on country-code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs); and the Address Supporting Organization (ASO) deals with policy making on Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

Further, ICANN relies on some advisory committees to receive advice on the interests and needs of stakeholders that do not directly participate in the supporting organizations, which include the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), made up of representatives of a large number of national governments from all over the world; the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), which is composed of representatives of organizations of individual Internet users from around the world; the Root Server System Advisory Committee, which provides advice on the operation of the Domain Name System (DNS) root server system; the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC), which is composed of Internet experts who study security issues pertaining to ICANN’s mandate; and the Technical Liaison Group (TLG), which is composed of representatives of other international technical organizations that focus, at least in part, on the Internet.

Exclusive by: Remmy Nweke
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