[governance] IDN's Internationalized Domain Names - A New Era of Internet and Local Languages

[Fouad Bajwa]

Reporting from Seoul!

The internet regulator ICANN has approved plans to allow
non-Latin-script web addresses, a move that is being described as the
biggest change to the way the internet works since it was created 40
years ago. For example, this opens up Pakistan's Internationalized
Domain Names Space in Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto etc....Initially the
Government of Pakistan, Ministry of IT&T/PTA will be provided with the
facility to acquire IDN's from ICANN before the companies and
individuals can! For participation in the various processes of ICANN.
The news in detail is below with video links:

Watch ICANN's Video about IDN's:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid46208174001?bctid=46955584001

Read the news on CNN:
Internet domain names set to appear in non-Latin scripts
October 30, 2009 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/29/internet.domains.languages/index.html

Read the news on BBC:
Internet addresses set for change
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8333194.stm

The Official News:
ICANN Bringing the Languages of the World to the Global Internet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: ICANN Website:
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30oct09-en.htm
Fast Track Process for Internationalized Domain Names Launches Nov 16

30 October 2009

Seoul: The first Internet addresses containing non-Latin characters
from start to finish will soon be online thanks to today's approval of
the new Internationalized Domain Name Fast Track Process by the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board.

"The coming introduction of non-Latin characters represents the
biggest technical change to the Internet since it was created four
decades ago," said ICANN chairman Peter Dengate Thrush. "Right now
Internet address endings are limited to Latin characters – A to Z. But
the Fast Track Process is the first step in bringing the 100,000
characters of the languages of the world online for domain names."

ICANN's Fast Track Process launches on 16 November 2009. It will allow
nations and territories to apply for Internet extensions reflecting
their name – and made up of characters from their national language.
If the applications meet criteria that includes government and
community support and a stability evaluation, the applicants will be
approved to start accepting registrations.

" This is only the first step, but it is an incredibly big one and an
historic move toward the internationalization of the Internet ," said
Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's President and CEO. "The first countries that
participate will not only be providing valuable information of the
operation of IDNs in the domain name system, they are also going to
help to bring the first of billions more people online – people who
never use Roman characters in their daily lives."

IDNs have been a topic of discussion since before ICANN's inception.
It's taken years of intense technical testing, policy development, and
global co-operation to prepare the Fast Track process for its coming
launch.

"Our work on IDNs has gone through numerous drafts, dozens of tests,
and an incredible amount of development by volunteers since we started
this project. Today is the first step in moving from planning and
implementation to the real launch," said Tina Dam, ICANN's Senior
Director for IDNs. "The launch of the Fast Track Process will be an
amazing change to make the Internet an even more valuable tool, and
for even more people around the globe."

More information of the Fast Track program is available online at:
http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

About ICANN:

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's
system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and
country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of
Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the
Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the
Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to
develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and
stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit
non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.



-- 
Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa
@skBajwa
Answering all your technology questions
http://www.askbajwa.com
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATVDW1tDZzA
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