There are four TLD applications that discuss the registration
of telephone numbers on the Internet. The applications can be broken down into
two distinct business segments:(a) Internet-Telephony Application: Using
a telephone number to identify a list of Internet enabled communications devices
or services associated with an individual. The goal of these applications is
to enable the smooth migration of telecommunications services from the telephone
network over to the Internet. (For example: mapping a phone number to a user's
IP-phone address, IP-fax address, IP-voicemail address, IP-mobile phone address,
etc.)
".tel" from Pulver.com, I-TAB and NetNumber.com (Pulver/Peek/Marschel)
".tel"
from Telnic Limited
(b) Unique Number as a Domain Name: Using a number (one
example being a telephone number) as a unique "name" to locate the address of a device
or website on the Internet. The ".one" application maps a unique number to
a device address. The ".tel" application from Number.tel maps a telephone number
to a website.
".one" from Group One Registry, Inc.
".tel" from Number.tel LLC
There
is no practical business overlap between these two different uses of a telephone
number on the Internet. ICANN could easily approve a TLD from each of these
two categories without creating any business or technical confusion. The only
obvious problem is that the name ".tel" is used by applicants in both categories.
ICANN will need to determine which use of ".tel" provides the highest overall utility
to the Internet community at this time or allow the applicants to pick non-conflicting
TLD strings.
Douglas Ranalli
Founder & Chief Strategy Officer
NetNumber.com