The number of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) from the 2012 application window that have been introduced into the internet has crossed the 1000 mark. There are nearly 50 times as many gTLDs as there were in 2013 when the first four applications completed the New gTLD Program.
During its pre-launch planning for the new gTLD program, ICANN based its root zone stability planning on the assumption that fewer than 1,000 TLDs would be added to the root per year. The actual rate of new gTLD adds however was considerably slower. On average, a new gTLD has been added to the root at the rate of one every day over the last two years. Over that same period, nine ccTLDs – internationalized domain names applied for via a separate ICANN program – have also gone live.
Incidentally, the 1,000th new gTLD to be added to the IANA database was .BLOG.