Internet and society: ICANN is considering applications for new domain names

From April 12, 2012 ICANN does not accept any more applications of the first round for the delegation of new domain zones (submission was available from January 12). The new structure of the domain name system allows you to register your own domain name of the first level, which will exist along with a general-purpose domain names such as .com or .net; or with geographical names, such as .ru, .de or .ua. ICANN recognizes that this innovation is the most radical expansion of the domain space over the past 25 years.

Experts say that in the foreseeable future, a new initiative may lead to more than 1,000 new domain zones, in addition to 22 commonly used  domains and approximately 250 geo-domains.

As of March 29, 839 applicants have addressed ICANN. Under the terms of the system, each applicant may submit up to 50 applications for domains. ICANN plans to release the official statistics on the registration in the first round of applications on April 30. The current head of ICANN, Rod Beckstrom, calls the event "a new era in the development of domain names", but the attitude of the online community to the new concept is quite ambiguous.

Beckstrom said that the project of opening a new domain zone has significant advantages for non-English users, since it allows them to create domain names entirely in local languages.

April 12, 2012 the Foundation for Promotion of Internet Technologies and Infrastructure filed an application to ICANN for registration of .MOSCOW and .MOSKVA domains.

The Department of Information Technology in Moscow, the capital's profile department of the Government, which supports the project of implementation of domain zones .MOSCOW and .MOSKVA, regards them as "a useful tool for raising recognition of the city in the Internet."