Big News! ICANN Launches the Evaluation Project for Registry Service Providers in the Next - round of Top - level Domain Opening

On November 19, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) officially announced the launch of the Registry Service Provider (RSP) evaluation project. This project will assess the technical qualifications for top -

level domain operations on a global scale, enabling institutions that acquire top - level domains to operate more effectively. ZDNS promptly joined the RSP evaluation, aiming to assist more Chinese enterprises in operating top - level domains with its professional technical capabilities.

ICANN Launches RSP Pre - review to Evaluate Top - level Domain Operating Qualifications

The RSP is an institution that offers technical support and management services to top - level domain holders. These services include operating DNS services, performing cryptographic operations required for DNSSEC, providing registration data via the Registration Data Access Protocol, etc. It bears the crucial responsibility of ensuring the secure and stable operation of the fundamental domain name system.

ICANN stipulates that all top - level domain applicants must use an RSP that has been evaluated and deemed compliant by ICANN. Service providers that pass the RSP pre - review will be publicly listed on the ICANN official website. This enables top - level domain applicants to obtain relevant support from the service platform before the application opening period, significantly shortening the technical verification process during the review.

ZDNS Takes the Lead in Participating in Hundreds of Standard Evaluations, Boasting an Internationally Leading Top - level Domain Technology Platform

Top - level domains, the highest - tier domain names, are vital infrastructure and fundamental resources of the Internet. Their secure, efficient, and stable operation is of paramount importance. ZDNS operates Asia's largest new top - level domain hosting service platform, serving 27 registry operators and 60 top - level domains worldwide. During the first - round of top - level domain openings, the technical parameters of the platform fully met the high - standard requirements in areas such as authoritative DNS and security extensions (DNSSEC) set by ICANN. Only over 40 service providers globally met these relevant standards.

ZDNS also continuously contributes to top - level domain technical standards. It has participated in formulating 8 industry standards, such as "Technical Requirements for Domain Name Registration Agreements of Internet New Generic Top - level Domain Services Supporting DNSSEC" and "Technical Requirements for the Startup Period of Domain Name Registration Agreements of Internet New Generic Top - level Domain Services".

Regarding this round of RSP review, as early as October 2023, ZDNS joined the Implementation Review Team (IRT) for the policy development and implementation of the next - round of new top - level domains under ICANN. It also participated in the Registry System Test (RST) and the discussion group for exclusive RSP - related topics. ZDNS has been conducting detailed tests on over 100 technical requirements in four categories - Main RSP, DNS RSP, DNSSEC RSP, and PROXY RSP - set by ICANN, building a top - level domain service platform with international advanced standards.

From Application to Hosting, Professional Institutions Ensure the Success of the Second - round Top - level Domain Applications

The efficient operation of top - level domains requires professional support throughout the entire process, including application, compliance, hosting, and technical services. ICANN has announced that the second - round of top - level domain registration applications will open in April 2026, and few institutions possess the full - process professional service qualifications.

In terms of registration applications, for over a decade, ZDNS has continuously participated in ICANN's top - level domain - related policy discussions through the international Internet community, providing suggestions for policy - making. It has a good grasp of the policy requirements and process nodes for the second - round of top - level domain openings. ZDNS endeavors to convey information on the resource allocation of the second - round of top - level domains to Chinese enterprises and institutions, helping more Chinese brands complete their top - level domain registration applications.

In terms of technical platform operation, the compliant operation of top - level domains in China requires dual - qualification reviews by ICANN and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The data also needs to be hosted on a domestic top - level domain service platform recognized by MIIT. During the first - round of top - level domain openings in 2012, ZDNS was one of the four units in China to obtain dual compliance from ICANN and MIIT, becoming an institution with "full licenses and full qualifications" in the domain name industry. In June 2018, through cooperation with the National Engineering Research Center for Internet Domain Name System (ZDNS), the.CO domain was approved by MIIT, becoming the first overseas country - and - region top - level domain to enter China. Currently, ZDNS has helped 22 top - level domains globally to successfully apply and operate in compliance.

The second - round of top - level domain registration applications is now in the countdown stage. With its professional policy - process interpretation, resource - layout strategies, leading technical strength, and rich experience in top - level domain operation and application, ZDNS helps Chinese enterprises successfully master core network resources, tell Chinese stories effectively, and build world - class brands.