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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://www.icann.org/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0
id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.icann.org/images/gradlogo_bow.jpg" alt=ICANN></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>News Alert<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05may10-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05may10-en.htm</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
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<h2 style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>First IDN ccTLDs Available<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:11.25pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>5
May 2010<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For the first time in the
history of the Internet, non-Latin characters are being used for top-level
domains. The first IDN country-code top-level domains were inserted in the DNS
root zone earlier today. The associated countries and their respective IDN
ccTLDs are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Egypt: مصر (Egypt)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Saudi Arabia: السعودية
(AlSaudiah)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>United Arab Emirates: امارات
(Emarat)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>These are the first IDN
ccTLDs to appear online as a result of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process which
was approved by the ICANN Board at its annual meeting in Seoul, South Korea on
30 October 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The first requests were
received starting 16 November 2009. The process enables countries and
territories to submit requests to ICANN for IDN ccTLDs, representing their
respective country or territory names in scripts other than Latin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So far, ICANN has received a
total of 21 requests for IDN ccTLD(s) representing 11 languages. A total of 13
requests have successfully passed through the “String Evaluation” (the second
stage of the process) and are hence ready for the requesting country or territory
to initiate the request for TLD Delegation (the final stage of the application
process). As of today, the first three of these have been delegated into the
DNS root zone, which means they are available for use.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Arabic has now become the
first non-Latin script to be used as an IDN ccTLD. Arabic is among the most
highly used languages on the Internet today. The Middle-East has an average
Internet penetration of just over 20%, and shows a big potential for growth.
Users in the region will now have easier access to the Internet, with the
ability to use their primary language for the entire domain name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>About the IDN ccTLD
Fast Track Process:</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The IDN ccTLD Fast Track
Program requires participants to demonstrate that they fulfill a number of
requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>the
script used to represent the IDN ccTLDs must be non-Latin;<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>the
languages used to express the IDN ccTLDs must be official in the
corresponding country or territory; and<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>a
specific set of technical requirements must be met (as evaluated by an
external DNS Stability Panel comprised of DNS and IDN experts).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The request and evaluation
processes entail three steps:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Preparation
(by the requester in the country / territory). Community consensus is
built for which IDN ccTLD to apply for, how it is run, and which organization
will be running it, along with preparing and gathering all the required
supporting documentation.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> String
Evaluation: incoming requests to ICANN in accordance with the criteria
described above: the technical and linguistic requirements for the IDN
ccTLD string(s). Applications are received through an online system
available together with additional material supporting the process at: <a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> String
Delegation: requests successfully meeting string evaluation criteria are
eligible to apply for delegation following the same ICANN IANA process as
is used for ASCII based ccTLDs. String delegation requests are submitted
to IANA root zone management.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<p><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>About ICANN:</span></strong><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To reach another person on
the Internet you have to type an address into your computer—a name or a number.
That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN
coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that
coordination we wouldn’t have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It
is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over
the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable.
It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique
identifiers. ICANN doesn’t control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam
and it doesn’t deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination
role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the
expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: <a
href="http://www.icann.org/">http://www.icann.org/</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span style='font-family:
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ICANN's Monthly Magazine</a></span></strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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