Potential solution to $55,000 price tag

[Andrew Allemann <editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've noticed some pushback from smaller entities and municipalities against
the $55,000 price tag.  This is somewhat perplexing given that they will
have to invest substantially more to launch their new TLD than $55,000.
However, there's a potential solution.  It seems that many governments are
considering launching their own TLD and feel that they'll "miss out" if they
don't participate in this round.  Perhaps some assurance from ICANN that
another round of TLD introductions will be held within a specified time
frame after the first one (subject to meeting objectives) would alleviate
their concerns.

There are two benefits for a government or other cash-strapped entity to
wait until the second round:

1. It will likely be cheaper to apply (no ICANN cost recovery)

2. They can see if location TLDs such as .nyc are viable.

I suspect that most governments, cities, etc. would like to see someone else
try it first before spending $500k+ themselves.  If they had some assurance
that they could apply for a new TLD, say, a year after the first application
period, they'd likely hold off.

Andrew Allemann
DomainNameWire.com