Countries Not Using Roman Alphabet Offered Domain Names In Own Language, Script

October 27, 2009 8:19 p.m. EST

Marina del Rey, CA (AHN) - Internet regulators will meet in Seoul Friday to decide if countries would be allowed to use their own alphabet and scripts in creating Web addresses.

If the plan is approved, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will start accepting applications for domain names written in language other than the Roman alphabet and script next month.

ICANN had been wary of allowing some countries to adopt their own domain name systems (DNS) fearing it might fragment the Internet and make Web addresses invisible to others who use the prevailing DNS. Other Web addresses are written in different language but the country code remains in Roman alphabet.

However, ICANN recognizes the fact that not all Internet users speak in Latin-based languages.

ICANN will allow countries to test country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) by Nov. 16 depending on the outcome of Friday's meeting.

Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi, Hebrew and Russian have been among the languages that cannot be used in a ccTLD or full e-mail address.