New web domain suffixes approved by ICANN

THE cyber sphere was warned to prepare for a bumpy regulatory ride after the peak naming authority yesterday passed a resolution to allow organisations to run their own generic domain suffixes alongside the likes of .net, .org and .com.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board yesterday ratified the protocols for companies and organisations to apply for the generic top-level domains (gTLDs) at its 41st international convention in Singapore.

In a landslide 18-to-one (and two abstentions), the board passed a resolution to accept applications for generic top-level-domains for three months from January 12, next year.

The announcement ends an era of fractious and protracted negotiations among internet stakeholders on how to get the protocols and processes for applying for the domains correct.

Placing his vote in the affirmative, ICANN board member Steve Crocker warned ICANN staff and the internet community to get ready for a period of frenetic activity and some conflict as the application process opens.



"Strap yourself in. There'll be a little bit of turbulence along the way, but it will be an exciting ride," Mr Crocker said.

Former ICANN vice-president Paul Levins said the resolution marked the biggest change in the internet addressing system since its inception.

"This is an enormous change," Mr Levins said.

"We don't know all the innovations this will produce, but what we know is that it will produce a lot of it.

"It's not been some overnight decision. It's been part of ICANN'S remit since its establishment in 1999 -- to introduce competition and increase the number of gTLDs."

The new system is expected to radically change the landscape of the internet naming system as it will vastly expand the range of domain names used on the web beyond the 21 common domain suffixes and 30 or so well-known country code names with which consumers are familiar.

ICANN anticipates that between 300 and 1000 new gTLDs could be created under the application process.

Domain registry services provider Melbourne IT recently surveyed 150 of its largest customers and found that 92 per cent were interested in applying for a gTLD matching their brand.

It would also allow cities, states and provinces to create web name suffixes based on their titles. For instance, New York, Paris and Berlin are among cities expected to apply for the top-level-domains .nyc, .paris and .berlin.

In Australia, Sydney and Melbourne have expressed interest in applying for the names .melbourne and .sydney.

The move is also expected to result in a flurry of activity developing gTLDs in non-Roman characters.

ICANN is expected to begin a market education program before opening the application process next year.

The first gTLD names are not expected to be approved until late next year.