New York, USA: The Internet's key over sight agency relaxed rules to permit the introduction of thousands of new Internet domain names to join ".com," making the first sweeping changes in the network's 25-year-old addressing system. 

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) unanimously approved the new guidelines on the final day of weeklong meetings in Paris. ICANN also voted unanimously to open public comment on a separate proposal to permit addresses entirely in non-English languages for the first time. 

New names likely won't start appearing until at least next year, and ICANN won't be deciding on specific ones quite yet. The organization still must work out many details, including fees for obtaining new names, expected to exceed $100,000 apiece to help ICANN cover up to $20 million in costs. 

The streamlined guidelines call for an initial review phase, during which anyone may raise an objection on grounds such as racism, trademark conflicts and similarity to an existing suffix. If no objection is raised, approval would come quickly.

Source: Agencies