26 August 2013
The first three new gTLD applicants have successfully completed Pre-Delegation Testing (PDT), marking another major development in the New gTLD Program. Passing PDT means that new Registries have met the technical and operational requirements, as outlined in section 5.2 of the Applicant Guidebook, necessary to operate the gTLD in a stable and secure manner.
After signing Registry Agreements with ICANN in July 2013, these new Registries began testing on 5 August 2013. All three passed PDT and will be transitioned to ICANN's Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) department. IANA will manage the process of delegating these new gTLDs into the Root Zone of the Internet, which is expected to occur in late September 2013.