Hello SubPro IRT members,

We would like to make you aware of the updated timeline for the Next Round Registry Agreement (Next Round RA), which will be shared with the community tomorrow, 14 October, during the Next Round update in the ICANN84 pre-week session. 

We previously communicated that we anticipated that the Next Round RA would go to the ICANN Board in December 2024 or January 2025 following the second public comment proceeding. However, we now anticipate that the Next Round RA will be submitted to the ICANN Board for consideration at ICANN85 in March 2026 so that it can encompass Spec 14 as well. 

As noted in the public comment proceeding published on 30 September, Section 2.13 of Specification 14 (Variant TLDs) was bracketed pending Board consideration of Recommendations 7.4 and 7.5 from Phase 1 Final Report on the Internationalized Domain Names Expedited Policy Development Process (IDN EPDP Phase 1). The ICANN Board is expected to take action on these recommendations during ICANN84 in Dublin. Following the Board’s action, ICANN may launch a separate public comment proceeding focused on Specification 14, which will include the Variant TLD Fees. 

The anticipated timeline for the additional public comment proceeding is mid-December 2024 with an expected close date at the end of January 2026. Once finalized, the proposed Next Round RA, including Specification 14, is expected to be submitted to the ICANN Board for consideration at ICANN85 in March 2026 and, if approved, posted following ICANN85. 

Importantly, this timeline does not alter the critical path to make the Next Round RA available ahead of the application window opening in April 2026. 

Please let us know if you have any questions. 

Best Regards, 

Karla