.etisalat New gTLD Application
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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (trading as Etisalat)
Application Downloaded On: 12 Jun 2015
String: etisalat
Application ID: 1-1743-35887
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (trading as Etisalat)
- Address of the principal place of business
Etisalat A Building (intersection of Sheikh Zayed II Street and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street)
PO Box 3838
Abu Dhabi - NA AE
- Phone number
+971 2 628 3333
- Fax number
+971 2 639 1000
- If applicable, website or URL
http://www.etisalat.com
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Benjamin Crawford
6(b). Title
CEO
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
+44 7540 723 115
6(e). Fax Number
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Gavin Brown
7(b). Title
Chief Technology Officer
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
+448700170900
7(e). Fax Number
7(f). Email Address
Proof of Legal Establishment
8(a). Legal form of the Applicant
Statutory Corporation
8(b). State the specific national or other jurisdiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).
Etisalat is a statutory corporation established by Federal Law #1 of 1991 (see attachment). Etisalat was established by decree and therefore does not have a registered name / number / address as would normally be found on a central registry
8(c). Attach evidence of the applicant's establishment.
Attachments are not displayed on this form.
9(a). If applying company is publicly traded, provide the exchange and symbol.
ETISALAT / ETISALAT / ETISALAT / ETISALAT
9(b). If the applying entity is a subsidiary, provide the parent company.
9(c). If the applying entity is a joint venture, list all joint venture partners.
Applicant Background
11(a). Name(s) and position(s) of all directors
Name
Position
H.E. Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Bin Nasser Alserkal Member of the Board
H.E. Abdulfattah Sayed Mansoor Sharaf MEMBER OF THE BOARD
H.E. Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri MEMBER OF THE BOARD
H.E. Eissa Mohammad Al Suwaidi MEMBER OF THE BOARD
H.E. Khalaf Bin Ahmed Al Otaiba Member of the Board
H.E. Mana Mohammed Saeed Almulla Member of the Board
H.E. Mohammed Hadi Ahmed Abdulla Al Hussaini MEMBER OF THE BOARD
H.E. Mubarak Rashed Al Mansouri Member of the Board
H.E. Sheikh Ahmed Mohammad Sultan Bin Suroor Al Dhaheri Member of the Board
H.E. Shoaib Mir Hashim Khoory Member of the Board
Mr. Essa Abdulfattah Kazim Member of the Board
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Name
Position
Abdul Aziz Ahmed al Sawaleh CHRO - Etisalat Group
Ahmad Abulkarim Mohd Julfar CEO - Etisalat Group
Rainer Rathgeber CCO - Etisalat Group
Serkan Okandan CFO - Etisalat Group
11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares
Name
Position
Emirates Investment Authority Not applicable
11(d). For an applying entity that does not have directors, officers, partners, or shareholders: Name(s) and position(s) of all individuals having legal or executive responsibility
Applied-for gTLD string
- Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.
etisalat
14A. If applying for an IDN, provide the A-label (beginning with "xn--").
14B. If an IDN, provide the meaning, or restatement of the string in English, that is, a description of the literal meaning of the string in the opinion of the applicant.
14C1. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (in English).
14C2. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (as referenced by ISO-639-1).
14D1. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (in English).
14D2. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (as referenced by ISO 15924).
14E. If an IDN, list all code points contained in the U-label according to Unicode form.
15A. If an IDN, upload IDN tables for the proposed registry. An IDN table must include:
the applied-for gTLD string relevant to the tables,
the script or language designator (as defined in BCP 47),
table version number,
effective date (DD Month YYYY), and
contact name, email address, and phone number.
Submission of IDN tables in a standards-based format is encouraged.
15B. Describe the process used for development of the IDN tables submitted, including consultations and sources used.
15C. List any variants to the applied-for gTLD string according to the relevant IDN tables.
- Describe the applicant's efforts to ensure that there are no known operational or rendering problems concerning the applied-for gTLD string. If such issues are known, describe steps that will be taken to mitigate these issues in software and other applications.
The string ʺ.etisalatʺ consists of eight ASCII characters, each one of which currently occurs as part of existing and operational gTLD strings. We are not aware of any possible rendering problems concerning the string ʺ.etisalatʺ.
We are aware of the issue of universal acceptability and accept that some incorrectly configured third-party software may consider ʺ.etisalatʺ to be an invalid string, in the same way that other TLDs such as ʺ.INFOʺ and “.MUSEUMʺ are also at times considered ʺinvalid.ʺ Etisalat will work to raise awareness of the issue of universal acceptance of .etisalat and other new gTLDs. CentralNic has previously contributed to these efforts, such as by publication of TLD Verification code for the PHP programming language.
We are aware that a significant fraction of queries sent to the DNS root servers are for invalid TLDs such as ʺ.LOCALʺ or ʺ.LANʺ, and that the delegation of these TLDs could cause previously undiscovered configuration errors to result in operational problems for other operators. We have reviewed the research in this area, including the SAC 045 report from ICANNʹs Security and Stability Advisory Committee, data from the Day In The Life of the Internet project, and other sources, and are not aware of any significant volume of invalid root server queries related to .etisalat. Therefore we feel confident that the delegation of this string will not result in any operation problems for Internet users.
- OPTIONAL.
Provide a representation of the label according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/).
18A. Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.
Etisalat (Emirates Telecommunications Corporation) has chosen to apply for the .etisalat TLD to promote awareness of its services and products and facilitate the digital growth and expansion of the Etisalat brand. The .etisalat TLD will be a tool to control and protect the Etisalat brand and it’s Trademarks by providing an official digital hub for consumers worldwide as well as foster consumer trust by creating a secure and technically stable zone. Etisalatʹs mission is to extend peopleʹs reach by promoting its core consumer-centric values of reliability, openness, enabling, simplicity, caring, energy and optimism. Etisalat believes not only that the deployment of the TLD will facilitate this mission, but also that it will contribute to ICANNʹs commitment to innovation, consumer protection, security, and stability.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Etisalat has presence in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and is the largest telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa. With a market value in excess of AED 80 billion (US$21 billion) and annual revenues of approximately AED 32 billion (US$9 billion), Etisalat is a successful and respected corporation both in the MENA region and worldwide. It has won dozens of awards, including being named ʺbest overall operatorʺ in the Middle East 10 times since 2006, and in 2012, receiving prestigious GSMA awards for Best Mobile Health Innovation and Mobile Product for Women in Emerging Markets for Mobile Baby initiative and also named Best Mobile Money Innovation.
Etisalat has served the telecommunications need of individuals and businesses in the UAE and Gulf Region since 1976. Since then, it has built a modern telecom infrastructure, established itself as a technology leader, and continued to expand its reach not only through innovative services for its UAE customer base but through its ever growing international markets. Etisalat is a blue chip multinational organization that operates in 17 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa – a coverage area with a population of over two billion people. The group’s global subscriber base exceeds over 165 million subscribers through mobile, fixed line voice and data services, broadband and cable TV and its satellite network provides services over two thirds of the planetʹs surface. Etisalat is one of the worldʹs fastest growing operators, and it has helped the UAE sustain its position as the regionʹs technological hub while simultaneously pioneering environmentally friendly information and communications systems.
Etisalat is not only in the telecommunications business; the corporation offers a variety of hi-tech complimentary services to the telecommunications industry including managerial and technical training, SIM card manufacturing, payment solutions, clearing house services, peering, voice and data transit, and submarine and land cable services. The decision to apply for the .etisalat TLD is part and parcel of its commitment to state-of-the-art technology throughout the company infrastructure and product offering, which has seen Etisalat pioneer next-generation networks for fixed lines and wireless and deploy enough fibre optic cable in the UAE to stretch to the moon and back two and a half times. Not only will this infrastructure meet the highest international standards, but it is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 80% and energy consumption by 70%. This focus on technological innovation and environmental responsibility has helped Etisalat capture significant market share as the company expands.
Etisalat shares ICANNʹs commitment to consumer empowerment, innovation, and competition. One noted example is the introduction of mobile broadband services (including video call and mobile TV) to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which has changed market dynamics and provided affordable internet access to millions of consumers. Etisalat was named ʺmost innovative companyʺ at the 2011 International Business Awards and has recently launched 4G mobile to the UAE while offering the Middle Eastʹs fastest fixed line broadband service.
In addition to its commitment to technology and its consumers, Etisalat takes its mission of corporate social responsibility very seriously, and it actively engages in projects promoting health care for women in sub-Saharan Africa, providing access to clean water in Egypt, and famine and malnourishment relief in Africa, among others. Etisalat supported, and contributed to multiple initiatives in 2011, through sponsorships and donations for sports, educational, health, community and charitable events - in an ongoing mission to help enhance all aspects of society.
Etisalat’s award-winning Mobile Baby initiative delivers affordable healthcare for all powered by mobile connectivity with significant results: Mobile Baby programme is a complete suite of services that enables birth attendants and midwives to ensure safer pregnancies and deliveries by enabling them to identify, communicate, and act on obstetric emergencies quickly and accurately. In Tanzania, where Etisalat first launched the service, there has been a substantial drop in baseline maternal mortality rates and a 30 percent increase in the in-medical facility delivery rate. During 2012 the Etisalat Mobile Baby service will be rolled out across its operations in Africa and Asia.
The .etisalat TLD will provide a digital home for information about all the previously-mentioned services as well as facilitate the potential future expansion of Etisalat’s web presence. Etisalat’s corporate mission requires it to actively extend people’s reach – meaning that it consistently develops active networks that enable people to develop, learn, and achieve their aspirations in life. The launch of the .etisalat TLD falls squarely within this mission and will allow Etisalat to achieve its goals of innovation, outreach, growth, and learning while reinforcing its credibility and reputation for technical stability, security, and excellence.
The Etisalat brand has been recognized in the Brand Finance Global 500 list as ranking number 363 among the world’s leading brands with brand value up to US$ 3.12 billion, and the second most valuable brand in the Middle East. Etisalat has almost 1,000 Trademarks filed or registered globally relating to the Etisalat name and brand.The brand name ʺEtisalatʺ has been used since the companyʹs founding in 1976 and is widely recognized throughout Etisalatʹs coverage area of 2 billion inhabitants and elsewhere as synonymous with the aforementioned service offerings. It is Etisalatʹs intention for the deployment of the .etisalat TLD to mirror Etisalatʹs growth as a brand and as a company, and also for the TLD to become part of Etisalatʹs Intellectual Property portfolio (thereby protecting the brand and the legion of consumers who currently recognize the brand and the many more who will do so as the company expands its reach).
Although the initial number of domains is expected to be small, depending on the evolution of the new TLD program and uses of new TLDs, Etisalat domains may be made available for registration by higher numbers of affiliates of Etisalat. The proposed Initial Eligibility and Acceptable Use Policy is located in response to question 29.10.
18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
- The TLD has been specifically designed to meet Etisalat’s requirements and facilitate its corporate mission. Mirroring ICANNʹs own goals of promoting consumer protection, security, stability, innovation, and rights protection, Etisalatʹs application for and desire to operate the TLD affirms its commitment to these areas and will ensure their execution. The domain will allow authorized parties to register the shortest, most intuitive, and most descriptive domain names possible. Various business units under the Etisalat corporate aegis will have access to the most efficient web and email addresses and be united under the Etisalat brand umbrella. Consumers will be aware that corporate communications and websites are authorized by Etisalat - promoting their confidence in the brand and their protection from potentially harmful third parties.
- The .etisalat TLD will be the first TLD specifically designed to serve the needs of Etisalatʹs brand, business, and consumers - allowing all to grow and prosper unhindered in the digital landscape. It will provide unprecedented levels of technical service and serve as a platform for the expansion of Etisalat’s services and product offerings.
Additionally, the TLD will promote ICANN’s goals of promoting competition, consumer and business trust, consumer choice, security, and rights protection by:
- diversifying the ownership and control of gTLD registries
- introducing a gTLD registry owned and operated in the Middle East (an unprecedented evolution)
- introducing a gTLD registry with operations in a number of territories where the domain industry is heretofore undeveloped
- providing a zone where the significant number of brand users and affiliates can receive accurate information about Etisalat and its product offerings and services
- operating at the levels of technical security and stability required by ICANNʹs new gTLD program
- protecting Etisalat as a rights holder, creating a dedicated zone wherein complete brand protection and control is Its use may include but is not limited to websites, emails, online applications, online transactions, social media, directories and any new usages of domain names.
- The .etisalat TLD will allow web users to easily identify the Etisalat brand worldwide – unimpeded by artificial boundaries (such as generic or ccTLD endings) and secure in the knowledge that the communications and information uncompromisingly originate directly from Etisalat. The TLD will assist with the dissemination of information about Etisalat product offerings, allowing internet users to become more familiar with the services offered and the various business units within the Etisalat brand universe. It will be a trusted zone functioning at the highest standards of technical and operational utility and security.
To this end, Etisalat has made provisions for marketing the TLD extensively by incorporating the use of the new TLD in its marketing materials, so as to promote potential user uptake and understanding.
- The .etisalat TLD is open to registrations by authorized parties within the Etisalat universe. A global, top-down outreach initiative will ensure that authorized registrants and internet users alike are aware of the TLD. Although individual business units within the Etisalat organization may wish to adopt their own informative strategies corresponding specifically with their unique team or market preferences, the common denominator will remain uniting the Etisalat universe under one TLD.
- Applicant in its capacity of a TLD registry operator will not be providing any special services for protecting privacy or confidential information of registrants or end-users apart from those required by applicable laws, policies, agreements or technical standards. Some registry services include as their integral part, protection of usersʹ confidential information. Examples of such services are:
- SRS (protecting confidentiality of the EPP transfer authorisation codes)
- Dissemination of TLD zone files (protecting confidentiality of zone file FTP accounts credentials)
All registry services, including those described above, will be provided in accordance with the ICANN requirements and specifications to the Registry Agreement. The data security measures adopted by the Applicant are described in detail in the answer to question 30 ʺSecurity Policyʺ.
18C. What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)? What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences/costs imposed upon consumers?
The TLD has been designed to provide a trusted zone free from security breaches and technical problems. The extensive security measures embedded into the heart of the zone ensure the minimization of social costs and negative consumer consequences.
- Etisalat has taken great care to develop the most fair registration policy possible. We will offer a phased launch consistent with ICANN requirements to ensure the protection of Trademark holders and the satisfaction of potential registrants. Phase 1 will be the ICANN-mandated Sunrise period open to TM holders eligible for registering domains in the TLD. The Sunrise rules and regulations are described in full in section 29.
The Sunrise phase will be followed by General Availability, during which time domain names will be become available for eligible entities on a first-come, first-served basis (the limited initial pool of authorized registrants negates the possibility of any registration collisions).
All domain name registrations in the TLD will be registered to and maintained by the Registry Operator for its own and its affiliates’ exclusive use within the first three years of delegation.
Depending on various factors including the up-take and usage of new TLDs, Etisalat may extend the client base in the future, though in not less than three years from delegation. The initially proposed Eligibility Policy provides for such expansion, and amendments to the Eligibility Policy to make it less restrictive are also feasible.
Any significant expansion of the potential registrant base will be prepended by an intermediate Sunrise period to allow new entrants to register their trademarks as domains under the TLD. Standard first-come, first-served policy will take over thereafter. The Applicant firmly believes this tiered policy will satisfy all potential registrants both now and in the future.
- Etisalat will not implement any promotions or registrant discounts within the first three years from delegation.
- Domain names will be available for registration on a one-year to ten-year basis in compliance with ICANN requirements. Interim takedowns of non-compliant domains are possible to protect the integrity of the zone.
At this time Etisalat does not foresee a need to increase the registry fees, but the registry will certainly give ample notice of any change in fees as required by the Registry Agreement and ICANN regulations.