Net regulators in California have approved seven new domain names to ease the pressure on the dwindling stock of dot.com addresses.
The suffixes, which include '.biz' for businesses, are the first major addition to the internet since the domain system was developed in the 1980s.
Alongside the new dot.biz addresses, web developers will be able to register '.info' for general use, '.name' for individuals, '.pro' for professionals, '.museum' for museums, '.coop' for business cooperatives and '.aero' for the aviation industry.
Esther Dyson, chair of the internet corporation for assigned names and numbers (ICANN), said the new domains were only an "initial sampling" but the body had chosen to reject some proposals such as '.health' '.kids' and '.web'.
New domains have been under discussion since mid-1990 but their introduction has been delayed by disputes. Experts say the move, similar to creating new telephone dialing codes, is needed to increase the capacity of the domain name system despite fears that new suffixes could trigger a fresh outbreak of cybersquatting, as speculators snap up well-known addresses with new suffixes to sell on for huge profits.
The United States commerce department appointed ICANN to oversee domain names and online addresses in 1998. However, private companies are paying the regulator $50,000 (£ 30,000) to become registry operators of the individual addresses with the prospect of charging millions for the most sought after names.
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Useful links
ICANN
MediaGuardian.co.uk
Report on new domain names
Webcast of meeting
ICANN member: Karl Auerbach
Interview with Esther Dyson
