GTLD
A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is a top-level domain used (at least in theory) by a particular class of organization. These are three or more letters long, and are named for the type of organization that they represent (for example, .com for commercial organizations). There are currently 14 gTLDs:
History
When generic top-level domains were first implemented, in com
The com, net and org gTLDs, despite their original different purposes, are now in practice open for use by anybody.
In November 1988, another gTLD was introduced, .int
This gTLD was introduced in response to NATO's request for a domain name which adequately reflected its character as an international organization. It is also used for some Internet infrastructure databases, such as ip6.int, the IPv6 equivalent of in-addr.arpa. However, in May 2000, the Internet Architecture Board proposed to close the int domain to new infrastructure databases. All future such databases would be created in arpa, and existing ones would move to arpa wherever feasible.
By the mid-1990s there was pressure for more gTLDs to be introduced. Jon Postel, as head of IANA, invited applications from interested parties . In early 1995, Postel created "Draft Postel", an Internet draft containing the procedures to create new domain name registries and new TLDs. Draft Postel created a number of small committees to approve the new TLDs. Because of the increasing interest, an number of large organizations took over the process under the Internet Society's umbrella. This second attempt involved the setting up of a temporary organization called the International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC). On 4 February 1997, the IAHC issued a report ignoring the Draft Postel recommendations and instead recommended the introduction of seven new gTLDs (arts, firm, info, nom, rec, store and web). However, progress on this stalled after the US Government intervened and nothing ever came of it.
In October 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) formed to take over the task of managing domain names. After a call for proposals (August 15, 2000) and a brief period of public consultation, ICANN announced on November 16, 2000 its selection of the following seven new gTLDs:
These new gTLDs started to come into use in June 2001, and by the end of that year all except pro existed, with biz, info and museum already in full operation. name and coop became fully operational in January 2002, and aero followed later in the year. pro became a gTLD in May 2002.
ICANN now intends to add further gTLDs, starting with a set of sponsored top-level domains (like the current aero, coop and museum). The application period for these lasted from 15 December 2003 until 16 March 2004, and resulted in ten applications. The most high-profile of these applications came from a consortium of companies including Microsoft, Vodafone, Samsung, Sun Microsystems and Nokia. It aims to develop a gTLD for mobile devices, potentially offering stripped-down versions of existing sites. The full list of proposed new TLDs consists of: asia, cat (or ctl or catala), jobs, mail (or tmail or mta), mobi (or mbl), post, tel, travel and xxx. Two separate, unrelated entities applied for tel.
