ICANN publishes initial list of RSPs for fresh top level domain names

28 firms have passed technical screening to offer registry services.

ICANN has published a list of Registry Service Providers (RSPs) that have by now passed their technical screening. Some of the RSPs have also cleared technical testing.

Fresh top level domain name applicants will be required to select one of the approved RSPs to operate their backend registry services.

Some RSPs, such as GoDaddy Registry and Identity Digital, plan to offer their services to other applicants. Others have chosen to become an RSP to handle only their own top level domains.

Newcomers include IT.com, Unstoppable Domains, and Digicert (perhaps for its Vercara business).

Notably absent from the list is Verisign. The firm stopped renewing its backend service contracts a couple of years ago. Its fresh top level domains from the last round, which were IDNs, have been flops. If it doesn’t become an RSP for this round, this suggests it will not apply for any domains.

It will be interesting to see how much RSP selection impacts distribution. Many domain name registrars are by now integrated into existing registry systems; newcomer RSPs and their clients will need to convince registries to integrate.

There are 28 RSPs on the initial list.