New domains on 2012

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the regulator of internet domains, approved yesterday a plan which will revolutionize the current domain system.

Today there are 22 generic top-level domains - amongst these are .com, .net and .org - and the specific country domains (about 250, such as .pt or .uk). From the beggining of next year, this number should increase, allowing the creation of top-level domains with city names or brands, such as .braga or .plako.

Applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012.

"ICANN has opened the Internet's naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today's decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind," said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.