Source from Network World


ICANN says the new TLDs will provide more innovation, choice and competition on the Internet, especially for non-English language speakers.

The new domains can be anywhere from three to 63 characters in length and can support Chinese, Arabic and other scripts.

So far, dozens of groups have announced plans to apply for new TLDs, including cities like .paris and .berlin, regions such as Latin America's .lat, and charities such as .unicef

Existing registries say that the new domains that are likely to be successful are those that introduce new ideas into the Internet, rather than those that copy existing domains.

"Hopefully, ICANN will get a wide range of applications from all kinds of creative new things, causes and geographies," LaPlante says. "Every major brand ought to be looking at it."

Wolak is intrigued by the idea of internationalized domain names, which are in foreign language characters rather than their ASCII approximations.

ICANN anticipates receiving anywhere from 300 to 1,000 applications for new domain name extensions.

"ICANN already said they will not put more than 1,000 TLDs in the root in any given year," LaPlante says. "But that's a big change given that there are only 271 in the entire root now."

ICANN's latest efforts to expand the Internet's Domain Name System could have a significant impact on multinationals. Already, tax giant Deloitte and camera manufacturer Canon have announced plans to apply for extensions using their company names. IBM is said to be considering applying for .ibm.

Companies and other organizations will need to spend $185,000 to apply for a new TLD, with no guarantee of approval.

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