The Asia Registry website began registering domain names Wednesday, and domain registrars are preparing for what ICANN described as a "landrush," as .asia moves toward becoming the Internet's second regional top-level domain.
Thousands of domain registrars around the world are expected to apply for .asia domain names in the next couple of weeks. URLs within the new domain will officially launch March 26.
Prior to the landrush, a "sunrise" period influenced more than 30,000 early applications filed by companies and organizations. But during a domain land rush, any interested party can register a URL without restrictions.
The relatively low number of sunrise applications indicates that several companies may lose their URL trademarks to cybersquatters or competitors, as regular users will be able to snap up domain names.
Rather than use a first-come, first-served system for domains, the Asia Registry allows more than one application to be filed per domain name during the application period. An auction is held for all domain names that receive more than one application.
According to ICANN, the organization responsible for keeping domain names and IP addresses interoperable, more than 70 nations in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and the Pacific Rim will be eligible to use the .asia top-level domain.
The first regional TLD was .eu, which was launched in 2006.
"We are ready for something big," said Leona Chen, spokesperson for the DotASIA Organization. "All of our people and systems are in place, and we look forward to the commencement of the .asia landrush."
To date, the Ace.asia domain has been won for $20,501, though most other popular domain names have been won for $7,500 or less.
In December 2007, 38.7 percent of Internet users were in Asia, according to the Miniwatts Marketing Group.
Asia accounts for almost 60 percent of the world's population and reportedly has more than 500 million Internet users.
