.STCGROUP New gTLD Application
Click to view Chinese translation articles.
-----------------------------------
New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Saudi Telecom Company
Application Downloaded On: 17 May 2014
String: STCGROUP
Application ID: 1-1932-58265
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Saudi Telecom Company
- Address of the principal place of business
8214 Al Imam Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz Branch Road, Al Mursalat
PO Box 87912 Riyadh - 11652 SA
- Phone number
+96614527000
- Fax number
+96614529005
- If applicable, website or URL
http://www.stc.com.sa
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
+96614529005
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Abdullah Alzuhair
7(b). Title
Application Administrator
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
+966554110074
7(e). Fax Number
7(f). Email Address
Proof of Legal Establishment
8(a). Legal form of the Applicant
Corporation
8(b). State the specific national or other jurisdiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).
Saudi Telecom Company was established as a Saudi Joint Stock Company pursuant to Royal Decree no. M/35 dated April 21st 1998
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.
Saudi_Stock_Market_Tadawul / 7010
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
Dr. Hamad Sluman Al-Qassumi Board Member
Eng. Abdulaziz Abdullah Sulaiman. Alsugair Chairman
Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Habdan Al-Habdan Board Member
Mr. Ibrahim Bin Ali Al-Hassan Board Member
Mr. Mohamed Abdullah AlKharachi Vice Chairman
Mr. Mohamed Dhayyan Al Dhayyan Board Member
Mr. Muhammed Bin Omran Al-Omran Board Member
Mr. Muhammed Bin Saleh Ad-Dahham Board Member
Mr. Saleh Ali Al Azal Board Member
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Name
Position
Dr. Fahad Hussain Saeed Mushyat Vice President for Strategic Affairs
Dr. Homoud Mohammed Al Kusayer Vice President for Wholesale
Dr. Khalid bin Hussain Al-Bayari Senior Vice President for Technology and Operations
Eng. Abdulaziz Abdullah Sulaiman. Alsugair Chairman Of The Board, Delegated Member
Eng. Abdullah Abdulrahman A Alzmame Vice President of Network
Eng. Ayman Saleh S Alsuhaim VP of Field Operation
Eng. Faisal Saeed Abdullah Alsaber Vice President for Personal Services
Eng. Mazyad Nasser Al Harbi Vice President for Home Services
Eng. Omer Abdullah Omer Al Nomany Vice President for Information technology
Mr. Amin Fahad Al Shiddi VP of Finance
Mr. Cenk Serdar Senior VP for Consumer Unit
Mr. Cyril Pourrat Vice President for Procurement and Support Services
Mr. Krishnan Ravi Kumar Group CFO
Mr. Mahmoud Omer Al Abdullatif Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
Mr. Saud bin Abdul Aziz Al-Shammari Group Vice President for Human Resources
11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares
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.
STCGROUP
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 ʺSTCGROUPʺ consists of 8 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 ʺSTCGROUPʺ.
We are aware of the issue of universal acceptability and accept that some incorrectly configured third-party software may consider ʺSTCGROUPʺ 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 Applicant will work to raise awareness of the issue of universal acceptance of .STCGROUP and other new gTLDs. CentralNic has previously contributed to these efforts, such as by publication of .STCGROUP 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 .STCGROUP. 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.
The Saudi Telecommunication Group (“STC”) has chosen to apply for the TLD to promote awareness of its services and products and facilitate the digital growth and physical expansion of STC. The TLD will control and protect STC and its Trademarks by providing an official digital hub for consumers worldwide as well as fostering consumer trust by creating a secure and technically stable zone. STC’s mission requires it to exceed customers’ expectations in order to collectively reach new horizons, and the company is confident that the deployment of the TLD will enable it to do so. STC is also confident that the TLD will allow the company not only to achieve its own goals but also contribute to ICANNʹs commitment to innovation, consumer protection, security, and stability across new markets.
Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, STC provides integrated mobile, fixed, and broadband communications services to over 126 million subscribers in 10 markets (34 million in Saudia Arabia alone). It is the largest telecommunications company by market capitalization, total revenue, and number of employees in the Arab State region and ranks 14th among telecommunications companies worldwide. Strong leadership coupled with strategic investments have increased shareholder value and enabled STC to provide 98% coverage and the introduction of new products and services (3G, 3.5G, LTE, BlackBerry, IPTV, MMS) in Saudi Arabia while successfully expanding into foreign markets (Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Turkey, Malaysia, Lebanon, and Jordan). STC has built sophisticated networks and used advanced technologies to provide quality service and achieve the company’s goal of consumer satisfaction. The introduction of innovative technologies such as fibre optic broadband service and InVISION, a pioneering multimedia service, as well as its expansion program directly mirrors ICANN’s commitment to the extension of choice and the promotion of secure and stable technology across new and emerging markets.
The term “stc group” is associated with a vast array of products and services related to STC and they include but are not limited to: mobile and fixed line communications; broadband; and multimedia broadcasting. As a result, millions of internet users and consumers worldwide associate the term “stc group” with Saudi Telecommunication Group, and this number is only projected to increase with the forecast expansion of STC throughout its target market. STC holds Trademarks in multiple jurisdictions including Saudi Arabia, ensuring not only the protection of the brand but also its public recognition.
STC seeks to become the broadband operator of choice by offering ubiquitous access, converged offerings, and innovative content and applications. It also strives to provide its customers with an integrated experience, tailored offerings, and excellent customer service while serving as a catalyst for economic and social development, empowerment, and expansion throughout the MENA region. It is currently the sole operator within Saudi Arabia to provide the interactive Facebook Zero service as well as Facebook SMS. The introduction of these services represents an important breakthrough not only in the unprecedented level of technology and quality of service offered to STC’s customers but also in the immediate effect of social networking (of which there are two million users in Saudi Arabia). Additionally, the launch of Twitter Messaging allows STC’s customers to send and receive Twitter messages via SMS for the first time. The decision to apply for the TLD thus falls squarely within STC’s goals and echoes ICANN’s commitment to consumer empowerment, innovation, and competition. It will reinforce STC’s overall credibility and reputation for technical stability, security, customer service, and excellence.
STC is a multi-award winning organization, and it has received recognition and accolades from industry organizations and counterparts in every field – from innovation (Cisco) and customer care (Middle East Excellence Awards Institute) to Transparency (BMG Financial Consultants) and Operational Excellence (TM Forum).
In addition to its commitment to technology and its consumers, STC takes its mission of corporate social responsibility very seriously. The company supports governmental development projects for the public and private sector and is an active member in numerous events and initiatives. It carries out projects in various fields and continuously endeavors to provide specialized and comprehensive telecommunications solutions in order to boost the economy and enrich the social and intellectual lifestyle within Saudi Arabia and across the company’s markets. STC actively contributes to various programs including health care, community needs (with a special emphasis on people with disabilities, for whom it also offers discounted services, and orphans), education, and sport. In recognition of its efforts, STC was presented with the Leadership Award for Corporate Social Responsibility from the International Institute for Social Responsibility in Dubai.
The TLD will provide a digital home for information about all the previously-mentioned services as well as facilitate the future expansion of STC’s web and market presence. As STC actively expands into new markets and service categories, the TLD will serve as a platform for innovation as well as technical security and stability.
STC will retain domains for internal use, educating consumers about its diverse service offering as it expands. As STC launches into new countries across its target region, it will simultaneously extend the outreach of the TLD – ensuring not only the promotion of the STC brand but also the effective organization of the Group’s domain name structure and the technical security and stability of its internet presence. The TLD will allow STC to continue innovating and bringing new products to an emerging consumer base without compromise and achieve its corporate goals of driving efficiency in operations, investing in long-term growth, and promoting a strong brand and reputation – thereby exceeding customer expectations and reaching new horizons.
18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
- The TLD has been specifically designed to meet STC’s requirements and facilitate its corporate mission. Mirroring ICANNʹs own goals of promoting consumer protection, security, stability, innovation, and rights protection, STC’s 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 within STC to register the shortest, most intuitive, and most descriptive domain names possible relating to STC brands and product offerings. Consumers will be aware that corporate communications and websites are authorized by STC - promoting their confidence in the brand and their protection from potentially harmful third parties.
- The TLD will be the first TLD specifically designed to serve the needs of STC’s brand, business, and consumers - allowing all to grow and prosper unhindered in the digital landscape without the limitations of generic or ccTLD endings. It will provide ICANN-mandated levels of technical service and serve as a platform for the expansion of STC’s services and product offerings as previously described.
Additionally, the TLD will promote ICANN’s goals of promoting competition, consumer 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 STC and its product offerings and services
- operating at the levels of technical security and stability required by ICANNʹs new gTLD program
- protecting STC as a rights holder, creating a dedicated zone wherein complete brand protection and control is guaranteed
- The TLD will allow web users to easily identify the STC 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 STC. The TLD will assist with the dissemination of information about STC product offerings, allowing internet users to become more familiar with the services offered and the various business units within the STC brand universe. It will be a trusted zone functioning at the highest standards of technical and operational utility and security.
- The TLD is open to registrations by authorized parties and business units within STC for assigning domains related to the STC brands. Although individual business units within STC may wish to adopt their own strategies corresponding specifically with their unique requirements or market preferences, the common denominator will be employing the TLD to unite STC sites and services under an uncompromised, secure, stable, and innovative digital hub. The marketing and branding activities undertaken by STC internationally will reinforce this goal.
As further detailed in the responses to questions 28 and 29, STC will implement all rights protection mechanisms required by ICANN (including but not limited to the URS and the UDRP) and will additionally operate a Sunrise period for Trademark holders prior to General Availability (again, in accordance with all ICANN rules).
A complete version of the intended registration policy is provided in response to question 29.
- STC in its capacity as a TLD registry operator will not be providing any special services for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or end-users apart from those required by applicable laws, policies, agreements or technical standards. Some registry services intrinsically support the 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 STC are described in detail in the answer to question 30 ʺSecurity Policyʺ.
- STC will incorporate the use of the TLD in its existing marketing campaigns and materials in order to encourage user understanding, protection, and uptake. These communications and outreach efforts will ensure internet users, STC customers, and the wider public are aware that the information disseminated on the TLD will provide content directly originating from STC.
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.
- STC has taken great care to develop the most fair registration policy possible. It 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, STC 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.
- STC will not implement any promotions or registrant discounts.
- 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 STC 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.