MARINA DEL REY, CA - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted on May 10, 2006 against a proposed agreement for a .XXX sponsored Top-Level Domain (sTLD).
The decision from ICANN follows opposition from conservative groups and some pornography websites to create the domain name for voluntary use by the adult entertainment industry.
According to a press release by the Corporation, the controversial application for .XXX domain, which was proposed by the ICM Registry, received much public comment and detailed discussion by the ICANN Board of Directors and ended with ICANN's rejection in a 9-5 vote.
Meanwhile, ICANN unanimously approved on May 15, 2006 the creation of the new .Tel Top-Level Domain (TLD) and awarded the contract to Telnic Limited, a UK-based technology company founded in 1998.
According to a press release by Telnic, the .Tel domain will enable people to reach a business from any Internet enabled device (computer or mobile) simply by typing, for example, “Hertz.tel.” The user will then be able to connect directly to a Hertz representative or navigate through a list of services that Hertz may offer. Businesses can easily extend their brands into this new space and enhance the way customer inquiries are handled.
In addition, individuals can use the .Tel domain to publish and update their contact information directly in the Domain Name System (DNS). These individuals will decide, in real time, by what means their friends and colleagues will be able to reach them. This could include: VoIP, conventional telephony (fixedline or wireless), email, SMS, Skype, AIM and many more.