.tel

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.tel
.tel
Introduced 2005
TLD type Sponsored top-level domain
Status Approved
Registry Telnic Limited
Sponsoring organization Telname Limited
Intended use Telephone-based services as text alternative to phone numbers
Actual use Not yet available for use
Registration restrictions Registered names are supposed to be policed in some manner to weed out abusive registrations or registrants not in proper community
Structure Direct second-level registrations will be allowed; digits will be restricted to avoid conflict with phone numbers
Documents ICANN New sTLD RFP Application
Dispute policies UDRP, Sunrise dispute resolution procedure
Web site Telnic

.tel is a top-level domain approved by ICANN as a sponsored TLD. It would be restricted to "internet communication" services, and provide a supplement to the traditional numeric namespace for telecommunication services (i.e. telephone numbers). It is sponsored by Telname Limited. As of May 2006, it has been approved to be added to the global DNS root, and is getting ready for its opening. The TLD was added to the root servers on March 2, 2007.

Since some of the sorts of services that will use .tel domains can be achieved on mobile telephones, there may be a perceived overlap in the target market between this and the .mobi domain, also approved by ICANN in the same round. However this perception is incorrect. In simple terms, ".tel" is about publishing contact data: phone numbers, SIP addresses and so on. The focus of the .mobi domain is providing web sites and other content designed for the user interface provided on mobile phones and other hand-held devices. An overview of the difference between the two sTLDs can be found on the ICANN web site at http://www.icann.org/correspondence/mahdavi-to-twomey-04may06.pdf .

A second application for the same TLD name, but with a different structure, was made by a company named Pulver.

[edit] External links

 v  d  e Generic top-level domains
Unsponsored  .biz  .com  .edu  .gov  .info  .int  .mil  .name  .net  .org
Sponsored  .aero  .cat  .coop  .jobs  .mobi  .museum  .pro  .travel
Infrastructure  .arpa  .root
Startup phase  .asia  .tel
Proposed  .berlin  .bzh  .cym  .gal  .geo  .kid  .kids  .mail  .nyc  .post  .sco  .web  .xxx
Deleted/retired  .nato
Reserved  .example  .invalid  .localhost  .test
Pseudo-domains  .bitnet  .csnet  .local  .onion  .uucp
Unofficial  see Alternative DNS roots

See also: Country code top-level domains