.Tel would enable businesses and individuals to publish VoIP address in both SIP, Skype or another VoIP format alongside any traditional PSTN telephone number associated with the service.
We ultimately hope that .tel will help drive adoption of open VoIP systems and benefit providers such as Vonage, SIPGate and others, said Telnic spokesperson Benjamin Blumenthal.
The .tel uses NAPTR records, a newer type of DNS record that allows regular expressions to be stored and which are not in use by any other TLDd to date, Blumenthal said.
When an end user performs a lookup for AdamSmith.tel, for example, they will access the contact information that Adam chose to publish, he said.
Companies can use navigation tools within their .tel domain to set up various points of contacts under the one .tel address.
Telnic, which founded in 1998, also said it would offer free applications for PC, Mac and mobile devices for full functionality of the .tel domain, Blumenthal said.
As with other internet domains, all .tel registrants will pay a registration fee.
Also, individuals can use .tel to publish and update their contact details in real time directly in the DNS. They will be able to chose by what means they want to be reached, including VoIP, traditional fixed-line or mobile phones, email, SMS, Skype, AIM and others, Telnic said.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers awarded the contract to Telnic after unanimously voting for its creation. .Tel domains will be sold through ICANN accredited registrars and their resellers in the same manner as other domain names, Blumenthal said.
Telnic initially applied for the .tel in a 2000 round and was placed in abeyance. It reapplied in a 2004 round, Blumenthal said.
