Hi Bruce, Thank you very much, it is enough materials to read for a while :) Regards Rafik 2010/3/21 Bruce Tonkin <Bruce.Tonkin@melbourneit.com.au>

Hello Rafiq,

...

That is why I would like if possible that Bruce point to documents (if they exist) explaining in details the why of such requested costs for running a regisrty from ICANN perspective?but also for the application fees as the explanation of cost recovery remains vague and abstract.

There are two papers available on the ICANN component of the costs.

See:

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/cost-considerations-23oct08-en. pdf

and

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/cost-considerations-04oct09-en. pdf

There is also a paper on a benchmarking study on what is involved in operating a registry. This was conducted by KPMG and compared 7 gTLDs and 6 ccTLDs across 10 countries.

See: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/benchmarking-report-15feb10-en. pdf

Note that there are also some letter of credit requirements etc to be able to provide funding to operate a registry for I think three additional years, if a registry operator chooses to cease providing that function.

Regards, Bruce Tonkin