Apr, 2002 : Schedule and Fee for .org Request for Proposals

Marina del Rey, California, USA (22 April 2002) – At its meeting today, the ICANN Board established the following target schedule for requesting, receiving, and evaluating applications to succeed VeriSign, Inc., as the registry operator for the .org top-level domain:

1 May 2002 - Posting of draft Request for Proposal (RFP) materials for Names Council comment and for applicants to begin working on their proposals

13 May 2002 - DNSO Names Council to provide ICANN Secretary any comment on the posted materials

13 May 2002 - Deadline for prospective applicants to submit written questions regarding the draft RFP

20 May 2002 - Final RFP materials posted

24 May 2002 - Written questions from prospective applicants posted with responses

18 June 2002 - Deadline for submission of applications, with tentatively established examination fee to be paid

27 June 2002 - Proposals to be discussed Bucharest ICANN Public Forum. Applicants to make presentations.

28 June 2002 - Board to finally establish examination fee

22 July 2002 - Posting of draft staff report; responses invited

1 August 2002 - Deadline for applicant responses to draft staff report

8 August 2002 - Posting of Final Staff Report and Recommendation

Late August 2002 - Board decision on selection

The above target schedule may be adjusted to the extent circumstances warrant.

The Board also decided that the examination fee for applications should be tentatively set at US$35,000, with the understanding that the Board will finally establish the examination fee (which will not exceed the tentative fee) at its meeting to be held in Bucharest, Romania, on 28 June 2002. Rebates will be made if the final examination fee is less than the US$35,000 tentative examination fee.