|
NEW DELHI, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will convene its 85th Public Meeting in Mumbai from 7–12 March 2026, hosted by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). With its more than one billion Internet users and a thriving digital economy, India is an ideal location for participants from around the world to gather at the ICANN85 Community Forum to advance the technical work that ensures the secure and stable operation of the Internet.
"Ten years after the ICANN Public Meeting in Hyderabad, the ICANN85 Community Forum in Mumbai offers the Indian Internet community an excellent opportunity to attend and participate in the global dialogue on important Internet governance issues," said Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. "I want to thank our host NIXI for bringing ICANN85 to Mumbai and I look forward to a fruitful meeting."
Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Chairman, NIXI said, "India's digital transformation is anchored in an open, secure, inclusive and resilient Internet. Hosting ICANN85 reflects India's commitment to the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and to advancing policy frameworks that support innovation, inclusion, and trust in the global Internet ecosystem."
Key Topics at ICANN85: The New gTLD Program, ICANN Community's Role in Advancing a Multilingual Internet, and the Multistakeholder Model
ICANN85 takes place at a pivotal moment – just before the launch of the next application round for the New gTLD Program in April. The program, the next expansion of the Domain Name System, provides businesses, communities, governments, and other organizations the rare opportunity to apply for new top-level domains tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests. The meeting will include important updates about the next round and how to apply.
The New gTLD Program helps to advance ICANN's 2030 vision as the trusted steward of the Internet's unique identifier systems to strengthen the single, globally interoperable Internet for all. This truly multilingual Internet enables people globally to use the Internet in their own languages and scripts, which matches the Indian government's approach to expanding Internet usage.
ICANN85 is the first ICANN Public Meeting since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the WSIS+20 Outcomes Document on 17 December 2025. The World Summit on the Information Society: 20-year review (WSIS+20) reaffirmed that the Internet is a shared global resource whose stability, openness, and interoperability depend on the multistakeholder model approach, a position strongly supported by ICANN and the Government of India.
WSIS+20 marked a reaffirmation rather than an end point, demonstrating the need to continue the work of the multistakeholder model, bringing new voices and expertise into the Internet governance ecosystem, strengthening knowledge transfer and capacity building, and sustaining engagement through forums like ICANN Public Meetings.
ICANN Community Excellence Award
Continuing its tradition of recognizing outstanding community member contributions, the ICANN Community Excellence Award will be presented at the Welcome Ceremony (9 March 2026). This award recognizes ICANN community members who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions and contributed substantively to the ICANN multistakeholder model.
Registration
In-person registration remains open until 6 March 2026. On-site registration is not available. Attendance is free and open to all. For more information, and to register, please visit the meeting website.
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
About NIXI
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a critical role in strengthening India's Internet infrastructure by facilitating efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic, managing the .IN and .भारत (.Bharat) country-code top-level domains, and promoting adoption of Internet services across the country. Through its initiatives, NIXI supports a secure, resilient, and inclusive Internet ecosystem aligned with India's digital growth ambitions.
NEW DELHI, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will convene its 85th Public Meeting in Mumbai from 7–12 March 2026, hosted by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). With its more than one billion Internet users and a thriving digital economy, India is an ideal location for participants from around the world to gather at the ICANN85 Community Forum to advance the technical work that ensures the secure and stable operation of the Internet.
"Ten years after the ICANN Public Meeting in Hyderabad, the ICANN85 Community Forum in Mumbai offers the Indian Internet community an excellent opportunity to attend and participate in the global dialogue on important Internet governance issues," said Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. "I want to thank our host NIXI for bringing ICANN85 to Mumbai and I look forward to a fruitful meeting."
Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Chairman, NIXI said, "India's digital transformation is anchored in an open, secure, inclusive and resilient Internet. Hosting ICANN85 reflects India's commitment to the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and to advancing policy frameworks that support innovation, inclusion, and trust in the global Internet ecosystem."
Key Topics at ICANN85: The New gTLD Program, ICANN Community's Role in Advancing a Multilingual Internet, and the Multistakeholder Model
ICANN85 takes place at a pivotal moment – just before the launch of the next application round for the New gTLD Program in April. The program, the next expansion of the Domain Name System, provides businesses, communities, governments, and other organizations the rare opportunity to apply for new top-level domains tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests. The meeting will include important updates about the next round and how to apply.
The New gTLD Program helps to advance ICANN's 2030 vision as the trusted steward of the Internet's unique identifier systems to strengthen the single, globally interoperable Internet for all. This truly multilingual Internet enables people globally to use the Internet in their own languages and scripts, which matches the Indian government's approach to expanding Internet usage.
ICANN85 is the first ICANN Public Meeting since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the WSIS+20 Outcomes Document on 17 December 2025. The World Summit on the Information Society: 20-year review (WSIS+20) reaffirmed that the Internet is a shared global resource whose stability, openness, and interoperability depend on the multistakeholder model approach, a position strongly supported by ICANN and the Government of India.
WSIS+20 marked a reaffirmation rather than an end point, demonstrating the need to continue the work of the multistakeholder model, bringing new voices and expertise into the Internet governance ecosystem, strengthening knowledge transfer and capacity building, and sustaining engagement through forums like ICANN Public Meetings.
ICANN Community Excellence Award
Continuing its tradition of recognizing outstanding community member contributions, the ICANN Community Excellence Award will be presented at the Welcome Ceremony (9 March 2026). This award recognizes ICANN community members who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions and contributed substantively to the ICANN multistakeholder model.
Registration
In-person registration remains open until 6 March 2026. On-site registration is not available. Attendance is free and open to all. For more information, and to register, please visit the meeting website.
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
About NIXI
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a critical role in strengthening India's Internet infrastructure by facilitating efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic, managing the .IN and .भारत (.Bharat) country-code top-level domains, and promoting adoption of Internet services across the country. Through its initiatives, NIXI supports a secure, resilient, and inclusive Internet ecosystem aligned with India's digital growth ambitions.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
ICANN85 in Mumbai: Strengthening the Single, Interoperable Internet for All
|
MADRID, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Valid, a global leader in Trusted Connectivity and eSIM technologies, announced today a strategic collaboration with Airalo, the world's largest eSIM platform, with coverage in over 200 destinations and a user base of more than 20 million users, to enhance customer experience with Valid's Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) platform and its Quality of Service (QoS) intelligence solution.
Airalo now leverages Valid's high-availability SM-DP+ platform to securely manage the lifecycle of eSIM profiles worldwide, while also benefiting from Valid's QoS as a value-added layer to monitor, compare, and optimize connectivity performance across partner networks in real time.
Valid's Quality of Service solution is delivered as a valued added intelligence layer that continuously evaluates mobile network performance across different carriers and regions.
This empowers Airalo to:
- Track key quality indicators such as data throughput, network availability, latency, and out of service alerts
- Benchmark network partners across destinations
- Detect performance issues proactively
- Guarantee the best possible connectivity experience for travelers
- Learn about OEM devices acting differently in the same networks
Although QoS is currently deployed to enhance Airalo's travel eSIM offering, the platform is architected with broader potential — including applications in IoT connectivity scenarios where large-scale devices also benefit from real-time network insights.
Valid's RSP infrastructure ensures secure and scalable eSIM profile downloads, delivering faster activation flows and consistent performance across devices. Combined with QoS intelligence, Airalo gains full visibility of the connectivity experience—resulting in an enhanced, reliable service for millions of users.
"Airalo is simplifying how people connect globally, and Valid is proud to help power that experience with secure eSIM provisioning and advanced network intelligence," said Gustavo Rubio, Worldwide Solutions Sales Director at Valid. "Our Quality of Service solution ensures Airalo users always receive the highest-quality connectivity, wherever they are."
"Our priority is a high-quality, honest product, and Valid gives us the technical foundation to back that up," says Peter Nussbaumer, VP of Networks at Airalo. "Their insights allow us to move beyond basic connectivity and provide a layer of intelligence that ensures our customers stay safe and connected, no matter where they are."
About Airalo
Airalo, founded in 2019, is the world's largest travel eSIM platform. Trusted by over 20 million travelers, Airalo offers eSIM packages in 200+ destinations, empowering users to connect to mobile networks worldwide instantly. With a remote team of over 300 people, spanning more than 50 countries, Airalo is committed to making mobile connectivity on the move easier, more affordable, and accessible to all.
About Valid
Valid is your trusted partner for interoperable mobile services worldwide. With more than 3,000 employees across 15 countries, we excel in offering solutions for identity, mobile, and payment ecosystems, driving digital transformation in people's lives. With nearly seven decades of expertise in the market, we deliver complex solutions involving high volume and sensitive data. To learn more, visit us trustedconnectivity.valid.com
MADRID, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Valid, a global leader in Trusted Connectivity and eSIM technologies, announced today a strategic collaboration with Airalo, the world's largest eSIM platform, with coverage in over 200 destinations and a user base of more than 20 million users, to enhance customer experience with Valid's Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) platform and its Quality of Service (QoS) intelligence solution.
Airalo now leverages Valid's high-availability SM-DP+ platform to securely manage the lifecycle of eSIM profiles worldwide, while also benefiting from Valid's QoS as a value-added layer to monitor, compare, and optimize connectivity performance across partner networks in real time.
Valid's Quality of Service solution is delivered as a valued added intelligence layer that continuously evaluates mobile network performance across different carriers and regions.
This empowers Airalo to:
- Track key quality indicators such as data throughput, network availability, latency, and out of service alerts
- Benchmark network partners across destinations
- Detect performance issues proactively
- Guarantee the best possible connectivity experience for travelers
- Learn about OEM devices acting differently in the same networks
Although QoS is currently deployed to enhance Airalo's travel eSIM offering, the platform is architected with broader potential — including applications in IoT connectivity scenarios where large-scale devices also benefit from real-time network insights.
Valid's RSP infrastructure ensures secure and scalable eSIM profile downloads, delivering faster activation flows and consistent performance across devices. Combined with QoS intelligence, Airalo gains full visibility of the connectivity experience—resulting in an enhanced, reliable service for millions of users.
"Airalo is simplifying how people connect globally, and Valid is proud to help power that experience with secure eSIM provisioning and advanced network intelligence," said Gustavo Rubio, Worldwide Solutions Sales Director at Valid. "Our Quality of Service solution ensures Airalo users always receive the highest-quality connectivity, wherever they are."
"Our priority is a high-quality, honest product, and Valid gives us the technical foundation to back that up," says Peter Nussbaumer, VP of Networks at Airalo. "Their insights allow us to move beyond basic connectivity and provide a layer of intelligence that ensures our customers stay safe and connected, no matter where they are."
About Airalo
Airalo, founded in 2019, is the world's largest travel eSIM platform. Trusted by over 20 million travelers, Airalo offers eSIM packages in 200+ destinations, empowering users to connect to mobile networks worldwide instantly. With a remote team of over 300 people, spanning more than 50 countries, Airalo is committed to making mobile connectivity on the move easier, more affordable, and accessible to all.
About Valid
Valid is your trusted partner for interoperable mobile services worldwide. With more than 3,000 employees across 15 countries, we excel in offering solutions for identity, mobile, and payment ecosystems, driving digital transformation in people's lives. With nearly seven decades of expertise in the market, we deliver complex solutions involving high volume and sensitive data. To learn more, visit us trustedconnectivity.valid.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Valid and Airalo Strengthen Global eSIM Experience with Advanced Remote SIM Provisioning and Quality of Service Intelligence
