Long-awaited domain application released

For companies hoping to cash in on the ".com" registration bonanza, the waiting is over.

After months of wrangling, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit corporation charged with privatizing administration of the Net's addressing system, has released the long-awaited application for becoming a domain registrar.

Posted yesterday, the application finalizes accreditation requirements for companies that wish to compete with Network Solutions. The Herndon, Virginia, company currently has a government-mandated monopoly on the registration of domain names ending in ".com," ".net," and ".org," which grace an estimated three-quarters of Internet addresses.

The applications, which ICANN members approved last week at a meeting in Singapore, contain a few surprises, and even some of the group's long-standing critics are praising the applications.

"The bar is low enough that any college student with $1,000 and a business plan" can be accredited, said Larry Erlich, a partner with Domain Registry, which hopes to become an early registrar. "It is surprising that they've lowered it so that anybody can be in a position to compete with Network Solutions."

Under the guidelines approved by ICANN, five companies will be selected to participate in a two-month pilot project that starts at the end of April. Hopefuls must submit applications by March 29 and pay a $2,500 fee. Starting this summer, competition will be open to all accredited companies. Those companies may submit applications after June 25 and pay a $1,000 fee.

Companies also must prove they have insurance to cover costs in the event their business fails and to demonstrate they have the technical ability to provide reliable service.