Startup Wants to Get Rid of Top Level Domain Names

by Yaroslav Lyssenko

[ 11/29/2005 | 10:00 AM ]

Although the Internet is considered to be infinite and totally free, there are some rules: for example web-site name usually consists of a certain word or words followed by a suffix, or top level domain (TLB), such as .com. Given that there are a lot of domain names, it sometimes hard for people interested in launching new web-sites to find a proper name. Furthermore, complex names of web-sites usually add complexity to web-surfing, something which harms online business in general. A company from the <%BANNER[article_nw]%>Netherlands wants to solve both issues: it plans to rid the Web of suffices, or TLDs.

A Dutch technology company called UnifiedRoot has breathed life into a project to rid the Internet of suffixes such as .com, and instead offer single names which can be countries, company names or fantasy words. Such a system, which enables countries, individuals and firms to have a Web address which consists of a single name, offers flexibility and is language and character independent, reports Reuters news-agency.

While it is definitely very convenient to have your web-site called “xbitlabs” instead of “www.xbitlabs.com”, there are some things that need to be addressed first. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which controls the root domain by delegating control over each top-level domain to a domain name registry, does not allow any web-sites to exist without TLDs. This means that UnifiedRoot will have to create its own root of domains and circumvent ICANN by pointing every single Internet computer around the world to their own root servers – which contain a copy of ICANN’s root server plus the addition of own-made TLDs. Another way to make the new root available is to close deals with Internet service providers (ISPs), which is not that simple, as there are too many providers in the world.

Registering a name costs $1000 plus an annual fee of $240. After this, companies can then invent additional web-site addresses in front of their top-level domain (TLD) name, such as flights.schiphol or parking.schiphol, in case of Dutch airport Schiphol.

Needless to say that ICANN is unlikely to support dumping of TLDs.

“Those who claim to be able to add new ‘suffixes’ or ‘TLDs’ are generally pirates or con-men with something to sell,” said Paul Vixie, who sits in several committees of the California-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) with day-to-day control of the Web.

• Reuters.com: Firm Wants to Rid Net of Suffixes.