ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

03/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/30/2026 03:39

ICANN Opens Second Evaluation Period for 2026 Round Registry Service Providers

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announces that the second application period for the Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Program for the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round is slated to open on 30 April 2026 and close on 12 August 2026.

The RSP Evaluation Program was created to streamline the evaluation of gTLD applications by separating the evaluation of the technical aspects of operating the gTLD from the application for the label. RSPs provide critical back-end services on behalf of the gTLD registry operator.

These services include operating Domain Name System (DNS) services, performing the cryptographic operations required of DNS Security Extensions, and providing registration data via the Registration Data Access Protocol, among others. The RSP Evaluation Program ensures that RSPs have the proper technical qualifications to run a gTLD back end. Regardless of the number of services they provide or the number of gTLDs they support, RSPs need only be evaluated once.

All gTLD applicants must identify at least one RSP successfully evaluated through the RSP Evaluation Program that the registry operator will engage if the application proceeds to delegation. In some cases, the RSP may be the same entity as the prospective applicant; in other cases, the registry operator may elect to outsource services to a third-party RSP.

This application round coincides with the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round application submission period. Organizations that clear the evaluation in this round will join the RSPs cleared in the first application round.

General information about the RSP Evaluation Program, RSP Handbook, and application fees, as well as instructions to access the RSP Portal, can be found on the program webpage. Past ICANN Public Meeting sessions, presentations, and webinar recordings regarding the program can be found on this page. For additional information or questions, please contact ICANN Global Support at [email protected].

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers published this content on March 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 30, 2026 at 09:40 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]