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Following extensive collaboration and consultation with experienced gTLD registries, ccTLD managers, SSAC, and other members of the community, ICANN announced the implementable version of the gTLD Registry Failover Plan [PDF, 85K] during the ICANN Public Forum in Paris, France on 25 June 2008. ICANN is today posting the plan for public comment. Comments on the plan may be submitted to registry-failover-plan@icann.org through 14 August 2008 23:59 UTC and may be viewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/registry-failover-plan/.

ICANN's gTLD Registry Failover Plan is intended to provide protection for registrants, and add to the security and stability of the Internet through collaboration with registries, registrars and members of the Internet community.

The plan provides a comprehensive guide describing potential ICANN actions in specific situations involving a registry and is intended to define the roles of registries and ICANN in the event of registry failure. The plan includes provisions for: information sharing, situation handling and event management, crisis response, communications, business continuity, data escrow and data security, TLD and data transition and registry closure.

Going forward, ICANN's FY09 Operating Plan states that a key deliverable during FY09 is to "implement [the gTLD] registry failover plan including live testing with a registry or registries."

At the conclusion of the comment period, ICANN will move into the implementation and testing phase of the project, and will work with experienced registries, registrars and others to exercise the plan in Fiscal Year 2008-09.