The Sunrise period of the sale of .tel domains has started.

The latest domain to be given approval by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has launched – .tel has been likened by online IT news site, The Register, to the “world’s phone book”.

The domain provides organisations the ability to list their contact details, such as web address, physical address, email and phone numbers – effectively making it easier for people to contact the company and for the organisation to keep their details up to date.

Unlike conventional websites, the company’s details are stored on a Domain Name Server (DNS), negating the need to build, manage and maintain a website. Telnic is the registry operator for the domain, and to date more than 29 countries have signed up to become accredited registrars through the company.

Khashayar Mahdavi, CEO of Telnic, commented on the launch: “[It] represents the most significant innovation in the domain name system since the advent of .com. Essentially, the .tel offers businesses of all sizes a fast, efficient, adaptable and intelligent service that will let customers interact with them in any way they want. Anyone that wants to communicate better with their customers should purchase a .tel.”

Registration for the domain is open for businesses up until 2 February, after which registration will open up to the general public.