18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

BENEFITS TO REGISTRANTS AND INTERNET USERS

The following four goals have been identified for the شبكة. TLD:

1. SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND THE INTERNET

The شبكة. TLD will provide the opportunity create a distinct and lasting connection between the Internet and the Arabic literate community.

Registrants of the شبكة. TLD will benefit through the ability to register a domain name in the Arabic script which allows registrants to engage with, and precisely target, Arabic literate Internet users who were previously marginalized by the use of only ASCII characters in TLDs. The introduction of the شبكة. TLD will deliver the intangible benefit of using the internet with a complete sense of congruency between online media and the native language of the registrant. It will provide an emotive connection between Arabic culture and the online communication requirements of the registrant.

The شبكة. TLD will be applicable to a wide range of registrants, from private citizens to corporate entities. This approach will replicate the experience of the .com TLD as a generic TLD composed of a simplified string. Take-up of the TLD will benefit registrants by enabling them to present a domain name identity that complements an offline identity or Arabic based marketing message.

The need to acquiesce to a foreign language, even in small measure, is removed with the introduction of an Arabic-based TLD such as شبكة.

2. GREATER ACCESSIBILITY TO THE INTERNET

The introduction of IDN TLDs, in general, support the broader aim of greater internet accessibility and usability.

The شبكة. TLD supports this overall aim through introducing a generic string that is intuitively associated with the subject matter of the internet. It carries mass appeal and a broad potential for registration within those classified as, or associated with the Arabic literate community. The شبكة. TLD will represent a beacon online for Arabic literate individuals to identify and access Arabic content, therefore improving the overall online usability experience for the Arabic literate target audience.

3. DIRECT ONLINE NAVIGATION

The شبكة. TLD will improve the online navigation experience of Arabic literate Internet users through the removal of counter-intuitive and foreign ASCII TLD scripts. Navigating to content under the TLD will be simpler, which will significantly increase the possibility of direct navigation across second level domains registered in Arabic. This will ultimately increase user satisfaction and may also reduce the end-users reliance on search engine based navigation.

This TLD will allow the Arabic literate Internet user to conventionally use the browser as the basis for navigation – something all Internet users in the western world take for granted.

4. REPUTATION AS A RELIABLE ONLINE DESTINATION

The core value proposition of the شبكة. TLD is the provision of a relevant TLD string formatted in the language considered native to millions of Arabic speakers. This feature will instantly provide an emotive connection with the Arabic literate public, and in turn build loyalty and a sense of trust for the TLD within the population.

Service levels offered to support the TLD are the same as the core service levels expected of a TLD registry. Registry services for the شبكة. TLD will be outsourced to ARI Registry Services, who have extensive experience working within the Arabic literate community in both IDN and ASCII based TLD environments.

From a technical viewpoint, registration processes are standard and thus registrar demands are not expected to be materially different to those associated with any existing process. This will ensure an appropriate distribution channel can be established, which will further build the TLDs representation and reliability.

The reputation that the شبكة. TLD aims to establish is one of trust, cultural understanding, local market experience and overall usefulness for the Arabic literate online community.

Overall, the TLD will be positioned as a practical, culturally-supportive, and widely appealing online space that caters to a group that has been marginalised thus far in the expansion of the internet.

ANTICIPATED CONTRIBUTION TO THE CURRENT SPACE

IMPROVED COMPETITION

The release of IDN gTLDs will add significant competition to the marketplace for domain registrations. The شبكة. TLD seeks to capture a large share of new registrations from within the target population of Arabic literate markets.

It is expected that a number of proposed new TLDs will enhance competition by targeting existing domain registrations and creating churn from existing TLDs to new TLDs. Whilst the شبكة. may have similar affects, it is expected that a substantial proportion of registrations under this TLD will be from amongst new internet users, with registrations that are unique to the TLD, therefore increasing the penetration of the domain name industry as a whole.

This expectation is supported by the position that the شبكة. TLD seeks to establish: That of a unique TLD string that carries mass-appeal within a unique and defined audience of the Arabic literate community.

The native Arabic-literate population carries an age distribution skewed towards younger people with a trend of increased online participation. This trait is in contrast to many developed markets where internet penetration rates are already high, and populations are more heavily composed of older age brackets, which are slower to adopt new technologies.

This will improve competition through providing newly engaged internet users with a clearly differentiated domain name that appeal in a culturally appropriate manner. This will, in turn, create significantly more choice for new and developing markets.

DIFFERENTIATION

The شبكة. TLD will provide a clear point of difference within the Arabic literate community through the provision of a generic, relevant and intuitive TLD delivered via the native Arabic script.

An open registration policy underpinning the TLD further supports the key point of differentiation, as until now, there has not been an open gTLD option available to the Arabic literate community.

USER EXPERIENCE

The current availability of domain names in the Arabic script at the second level presents difficulties for Arabic speaking internet users and is counterintuitive given the right to left nature of the Arabic script.

The user experience under the شبكة. TLD will reflect the TLD’s goal to position itself as a widely appealing and appropriate TLD for the Arabic-literate market.

Access to Arabic content via the شبكة. TLD will be significantly simpler than the current IDN.ASCII format, which introduces foreign characters into the heart of what is an Arabic communication, intended for an Arabic audience.

The شبكة. TLD will assist in making the Internet a truly global, non-regionally dominated resource through the implementation, activation and delivery of domain names to Arabic literate Internet users entirely in their native language. This will in turn increase the ease of access to Arabic content, and stimulate direct domain name based navigation of the internet.

REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE شبكة. TLD

شبكة. will be an open TLD that appeals to a wide range of potential registrants. No restrictions on eligibility to register and use domain names will be enacted.
Multiple applications for a domain name will be resolved by employing the first-come⁄first-serve method of allocation.

PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

In support of and consistent with the mission and purpose of the شبكة. TLD, the protection of privacy and confidential information will be a priority in this TLD. The TLD will be operated in accordance with all relevant Australian State and Commonwealth legislation, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) and the National Privacy Principles (Commonwealth). In addition, all security measures, policies and practices required by ICANN under the Registry Agreement will be implemented in the شبكة. TLD.

A Privacy Policy will be developed and put into place to protect registrants and Internet users’ personal data. Registrars will be required to secure in their Registration Agreements registrants’ consent to the use of registration information by the registrar in the operation of the registry, disclosure to ICANN or in response to a request from a law enforcement agency. This agreement will be supported by and make reference to the شبكة. Privacy Policy, which will require that measures are in place to prevent disclosure of registrant contact information to third parties other than through WhoIs or to comply with contractual obligations to ICANN and instructions received from validated law enforcement agencies. These disclosure mechanisms, which are intended to prevent and mitigate abuse in the TLD, are described in detail in the response to Question 28.

Consistent with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement, a publicly available WhoIs will be provided to enable Internet users to query a domain name’s registrant, contact details and status. Users will be required to abide by terms and conditions relating to the appropriate use of this facility.


OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES

The شبكة. TLD will be introduced to key markets via a marketing strategy that aims to connect Arabic speakers with the emotive benefits of the string. Outreach and communication activities will focus on the achievement of the following primary objectives:
- overall awareness of the شبكة. domain space within key stakeholders and target audiences;
- end-user awareness and utilisation of the شبكة. gTLD; and
- registrar engagement, uptake and sell-through.

Marketing and outreach activity will be represented by strategic activities that appeal specifically to the registrant, registrar and end user audiences. Marketing is expected to comprise of above the line activities such as Advertising and Public Relations, in combination with below the line activities such as Direct Marketing.

A key to the success of the TLD is positioning it as a relevant, culturally sensitive domain name option to a broad cross section of registrants from business and consumer audiences.

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