ICANN Announcements

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ICANN Launches Webinar Series for Potential 2026 Round Applicants

7 January 2026

This month, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will hold two informational webinars in advance of the opening of the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round. Both sessions will be recorded and include time for questions and answers.

The two webinars are meant to build foundational knowledge of the program. Potential applicants, community members, and other interested parties are welcome to attend.

Webinar #1 - Introduction to the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round
20 January, 08:00 UTC
This 60-minute session is designed to equip those who are new to the domain name industry and the New gTLD Program. The course will cover everything from gTLDs to how applications are processed and the purpose of each evaluation stage.
Register here: Introduction to the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round

Webinar #2 - 2026 Round New gTLD Applicant Journey Overview
27 January, 16:00 UTC
This 90-minute session will provide an end-to-end view of gTLD application processing stages and milestones and create context for ICANN community members and applicants to understand the requirements of the application process, and the role(s) different groups play throughout.
Register here: 2026 Round New gTLD Applicant Journey Overview

To prepare applicants and community members for the program opening, ICANN org has created resources in a variety of formats including FAQs, topic overviews, and more. All are available on the New gTLD Program website.

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.