ICANN expect domain change in 2009

12:48 15th October 2008

New domain name extensions could be in place by the end of 2009, the Internet Corporation for the Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has claimed.

The non-profit group, which co-ordinates the internet's address systems, is poised to make one of the biggest changes in the web's history, by offering endless variations on domain names.

When this change is initiated all applications will need to be approved by the organisation, while an individual or company will be able to choose a domain that ends in anything they wish.

A spokesperson for ICANN explained that this initiative was a "major undertaking to apply", but insisted that if a controversy-free application was found the process would be "approved pretty quickly".

"Competition is good. We think that there should be availability for people to move forward and apply to bring their ideas forward," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this month, a consortium of leading IT and mobile companies revealed that they had discovered a new category of mobile broadband, which could offer an alternative to Wi-Fi.