The allocation of seven new generic top-level domain names could be delayed following problems at ICANN, the organisation responsible for allocating and maintaining them.
The proposed domains are: .info, .biz, .pro, .name, .museum, .aero and .coop.
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, has said it is struggling with its responsibilities. Chairman Vinton Cerf said the group needed advice on how to balance the technical side of running the Internet with the politics of allocating domain names.
The comments followed this month's investigation by the US Congress into the procedures used by ICANN to select the new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs). The investigation was prompted by complaints from potential domain registrars that the selection process was flawed.
The seven domain names were selected from a list of 47 submitted by private firms, which each paid US$50,000 to propose a gTLD. Those that had their proposals rejected said they had lost out on the opportunity to sell and manage their gTLDs.
Testifying before Congress, Lou Kerner, head of The .TV Corporation International and one of the rejected applicants, said, "Due process was sacrificed for expediency." His firm made two applications cost him US$100,000.
Aggrieved businesses complained that the evaluation documents were not made available to the public until the last moment, that they were denied a proper platform on which to present their case, and that ICANN represent atives had refused to communicate with them. The organisation denied the complaints.
During the Congressional hearing, ICANN representatives commented that it was struggling to balance its responsibilities. During his testimony, Cerf admitted that the collision of policy and technical guidelines had become "a big problem".
A decision on whether the organisation should re-run the selection process has not been made, but Congress members recommended that the process should be fairer and more open.
ICANN has been urged to change its procedures before the next round of domain selections, likely to take place six months after the seven gTLDs are launched.
But a group of rejected applicants has asked Congress and the US Commerce Department to postpone the approval of ICANN's new domain names until the dispute is resolved.
