(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The .tel domain became generally available beginning at 15:00 GMT Monday, allowing ICANN-accredited registrars to accept applications for .tel domains without stipulating a three-year minimum term and premium fees meant to discourage domain squatters.
According to domain registrar LCN.com’s (www.lcn.com) Monday announcement, the .tel domain will become a relatively low cost investment for anyone wishing to create a simple online presence using this domain extension that, unlike a traditional domain, stores personal and corporate information as well as index-able keywords.
Described as “an Internet phone book,” a .tel domain places contact information directly in the domain name system information, which can then be universally accessed. The DNS for other TLDs typically only provides a mapping between domain names and IP addresses.
“One of the main attractions of the .tel domain is its simplicity. A .tel allows a business or individual to create an online presence without the need to build a website or pay monthly hosting costs,” LCN.com managing director Mark Boost said in a statement.
“Not only are individuals and companies protecting their brand through the early purchase of a .tel domain, they are securing a hugely innovative domain extension that basically acts as an easy to access contact page especially useful for the rapidly growing mobile market.”
Helping potential customers learn more about the .tel domain, LCN.com has created a .tel simulator that lets individuals view the steps in uploading and publishing information to a .tel domain, and view what their domain would look like on both the web and a mobile device.
The new domain, however, is not with its skeptics. Essentially, web hosts sell domains to sell services on top of domains such as web hosting and e-commerce. Because .tel is limited to just contact information, it is difficult to build fully functional websites that require complex hosting.
The domain, however, functions well as a central place for personal information including links to blogs, personal and corporate websites, and social network profiles. For instance, Henri Asseily’s .tel domain (www.henri.tel) offers many links to his public and private personae. Asseily is CSO and CTO for Telnic Limited (www.telnic.org), the registry operator responsible for .tel.
There are also examples of how .tel can be used slightly contrary to the way it was intended. For instance, celebrity.tel (www.celebrity.tel) shows how one can create a many level deep directory eventually leading to links to external websites.
Enthusiasm over the new domain, however, cannot be denied. In October 2008, Telnic reported that more than 100 ICANN-accredited registrars have signed up to sell .tel domain names well in advance of the December 3 launch date when domains were made available to copyright owners at premium prices.
