Nick CaristinosWhen I first heard about the upcoming .tel domain extension, I had doubts about its timing and viability. My concerns stemmed from the fact that .Asia launched very recently, which left me thinking domain investors might be hesitant with .tel following so soon. I also worried the buzz around ICANN’s announcement of new generic top-level domain extensions next year could overshadow .tel in its infancy.
After spending time looking at the offering I soon realized what a great idea the .tel domain extension was – the notion of using a .tel domain to store all your contact information and exchange voice, video and text messages from a single online point is brilliant.
Not only is it great for an individual, but businesses as well. Now I can hardly wait to get my own .tel domain name.
———————————————————————
Fact Sheet on .tel – the New TLD for Internet Communication
What is .tel? – .Tel is a new TLD (top-level domain) that allows individuals and businesses to store and manage all their contact information and keywords directly in the DNS, making it universally accessible without the need of a website. This stands in contrast to the typical use of the DNS for other TLDs, in which the DNS only provides a mapping between domain names and IP addresses. It represents the first intrinsically different use of a domain since .com was first created. It has been sponsored by UK based Telnic Limited.
How will .tel work? – .Tel is applicable to text messaging, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), videoconference activities and all other Internet-based communications. If you want to contact a registered .tel user over the Internet – for example, John Smith – you would enter “johnsmith.tel” into a communications device. The domain name will then resolve to multiple contact formats, including telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), and fax numbers, so users do not have to remember separate details for each.
Who is .tel aimed at? – The .tel domain is not specific to anything or anyone other than the entity who has registered it. The primary users of the new TLD are expected to be individuals and businesses desiring a universal communications identity.
When will .tel be available? – Trademark registration for .tel begins December 3rd and will run until February 2, 2009. Landrush will begin the following day, following general registration at the end of March.
Stay tuned for more information about securing your .tel domain(s) with Webnames.ca.
Recommended Reading:
Click here to learn more about .TEL
Additional Info: