Leading companies form joint venture to manage the .mobi domain

Dublin, Ireland – July 11, 2005 – Today, members of the mTLD Initiative announced the creation of a joint venture - mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd., and the completion of a contract with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), formalizing the creation of the .mobi domain for the mobile community.

mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. is committed to creating a registry service to the .mobi domain, which will serve as a reliable and recognizable mechanism for Internet content and services that are specifically tailored to a mobile experience thereby promoting the considerable opportunities those services represent to the telecommunications, mobile, Internet and media industries.

mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. was formed by member companies including Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse Technologies, Telefonica Moviles, TIM, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. will operate under the consensus policy set by ICANN for allocating and running domain name services for the .mobi domain. In entering into the contract with ICANN, mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. has been delegated to provide the registry services for the .mobi domain for the next ten years. The consortium will work to define the structure of the businesses servicing .mobi and partner with mobile industry leaders to expand the mobile market.

The current estimate is that the first domain names will be available during the first half of 2006, starting with a 90 day sunrise period, allowing corporations with trademark validated names to secure a second-level .mobi domain. Generic second level domain names will be available on a first come, first served basis, after the sunrise period.

Benefits of a mobile Top Level Domain

"mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. believes .mobi will enhance and improve the ease of use of Internet-based mobile data services through discoverability and predictability, as well as, speed and delivery to market," said Ameet Shah, Chairperson of the Board. He continued, ".mobi will indicate to consumer and enterprise users that the site they are visiting is optimized for the delivery of content and services to mobile devices. This quality assurance will attract users, stimulating Internet-based mobile data usage."

In addition to the benefits to end users, there are many other opportunities created. The .mobi domain represents an opportunity for Content Providers, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and Application Service Providers (ASPs) to extend new and existing Internet-based services to their customers, thereby expanding their market and reach to mobile users. Furthermore, .mobi presents a significant opportunity to registrars to expand their offerings to their customers with new names and hosting functions. For developers, mTLD Top Level Domain Ltd. and its support organizations will be developing styleguides to create consistency and best practices for Internet-based development tailored to the mobile environment.

As .mobi will create a discoverable and predicable experience, it will catalyze the mobile data market and create new opportunities for mobile operators and other Internet service providers to offer value-add services, as well as allow them to utilize and monetize their deployments of advanced technologies. Finally, as .mobi will encourage the usage of advanced functionalities in mobile devices, the market potential for those devices will increase, as well as drive infrastructure upgrades.

"The delegation of the new .mobi top-level domain is an example of ICANN's commitment to fostering innovation, competition and growth in the registration of Internet resources. ICANN is pleased to delegate the .mobi top-level domain to mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. as representatives of the sponsored community of users and providers of mobile services and content," said ICANN President and CEO Dr. Paul Twomey.

mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. Structure

The organisational structure of mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. has two mechanisms that will engage with the Internet and mobile communities, ensuring that .mobi delivers maximum benefit to all stakeholders. These mechanisms are the Membership Advisory Group (MAG) and the Policy Advisory Board (PAB).

The goal of the Membership Advisory Group is to ensure that .mobi is operated in the best interests of the sponsored community and the Internet at large. This will be achieved by soliciting input via MAG which is then sent forth to the Policy Advisory Board. The 10-member PAB will advise mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. on registry policy (including eligibility, product offerings, and pricing), and other policy matters relating to the .mobi domain. The PAB will seek to ensure that it represents and considers the views of the sponsored community and the Internet at large and that its deliberations on policy-related matters are conducted in an open and fair manner designed to facilitate input from the sponsored community.

About mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd.

mTLD Top Level Domain, Ltd. is a global company based in Dublin, Ireland. It is committed to creating a registry service to the .mobi domain, which will serve as a reliable and recognizable mechanism to Internet content and services that are specifically tailored to a mobile experience thereby promoting the considerable opportunities those services represent to the telecommunications, mobile, Internet and media industries. .mobi catalyzes business opportunities for companies servicing mobile customers with compelling new mobile services and applications - bridging the world of mobility and the Internet.

**Editors Note:

Registry: The "Registry" is the authoritative, master database of all domain names registered in each Top Level Domain. The registry operator keeps the master database and also generates the "zone file" which allows computers to route Internet traffic to and from top-level domains anywhere in the world. Internet users don't interact directly with the registry operator; users can register names in TLDs using an ICANN-Accredited Registrar.

Registrar: Domain names can be registered through many different companies (known as "registrars") that compete with one another. The registrar you choose will ask you to provide various contact and technical information that makes up the registration. The registrar will then keep records of the contact information and submit the technical information to a central directory known as the "registry." This registry provides other computers on the Internet the information necessary to send you e-mail or to find your web site. You will also be required to enter a registration contract with the registrar, which sets forth the terms under which your registration is accepted and will be maintained.