May 15, 2006

ICANN OKs Creation of .Tel Domain CIO, MA - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved a new top-level domain suffixed ".tel," awarding a contract to Telnic, an Internet communications company based in London. Telnic, which applied for the domain in October 2000, says it envisions creating a universal text and navigation system for contact information over the Internet. Mobile device users could communicate and access the services of organizations or individuals with .tel domain names. In its application to ICANN, Telnic said the traditional numbering system has reached a threshold, and the new domain will aid migration to a communications network based on IP. The .tel domain will be a unified location to find contact information and foster converged fixed-line and wireless services, Telnic said. On its website, Telnic offered the example of how the new domain could aid someone trying to reach the Hertz car-rental service. A user would type Hertz.tel on their mobile phone and be connected to a customer service representative for the local area. Private individuals could list contact information such as voice-over-IP dialing details or their instant-messaging name, Telnic said. 10:20:49 AM