Mobile Website Design News

What is .mobi?

.mobi is the name of a new top-level domain (like .com or .org). .mobi sites went on sale in May 2006. They are unique in that they are provided exclusively for websites that are designed to be used on cell phones and other mobile devices such as PDAs.

The organisation that has been set up to issue domain names in the new .mobi namespace is called Mobile Top-Level (or mTLD) Domain Ltd. mTLD has issued guidelines and restrictions as to how the new .mobi domains may be used. These are described in guides, called SwitchOn! Guides, that mTLD has issued, The intention is to ensure that all .mobi websites work well with mobile devices. In other words, if you want to run a .mobi website, it must follow the guidelines that mTLD has laid down.

ICANN gave approval for the .mobi initiative in July 2005. mTLD was announced as the offical registry operator for the .mobi domain name. mTLD is a joint venture, and has been funded by a consortium of companies that have interests in the mobile web, including handset manufacturers (Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung), mobile network operators (Telefonica Moviles Espana, T-Mobile, Vodafone, TIM, Hutchison, 3), plus the GSM Association, Google, Syniverse Technologies and Microsoft.

Why is .mobi needed?

In future it is expected that most internet access will be from mobile phones and handheld devices. However, today only a small percentage of mobile phone owners use their phone to access the internet. There are several reasons for this, many of which are now historical:

1. Slow data transfer speeds and coverage for wireless data services such as GPRS
2. Limited performance of handset browser software
3. Low resolution of handset screens
4. Difficulty in finding websites that are mobile-compatible
5. High prices for data usage

Most of these obstacles have now been overcome.

Mobile network operators and service providers currently generate very small revenues from mobile internet usage. However, as voice revenues decrease they are increasingly looking to the mobile internet to make up for the shortfall.

At the same time, many phone users report that they would be enthusiastic about using the mobile internet, but that the current user experience is disappointing, because few websites have been created for mobile phones and those that have are difficult to find.

This latter point is perhaps the most important. There is currently no easy way to find a company’s mobile website. The following examples illustrate just how difficult it can be to locate a company’s mobile website.

• Google: http://google.com/xhtml
• Yahoo!: http://wap.oa.yahoo.com
• MSN: http://mobile.msn.com
• AOL: http://mobile.aol.com
• ABC News: http://wap.go.com/abcnews/
• Weather Channel: http://xhtml.weather.com/xhtml/
• ESPN: http://proxy.espn.go.com/wireless/espn/
• BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile

It is expected that the .mobi domain names will allow users to easily find websites that are mobile-friendly.

Some opponents of the .mobi initiative have argued that a mobile web is not needed, and that mobile phones can be used to view standard websites. However, supporters of the mobile web argue that mobile devices will always have smaller display screens than desktop or laptop computers, so webpages should be rewritten, or at least reformatted, for these smaller screens.

What are the technical requirements for a .mobi website?

MTLD has issued a guide called the DotMobi Switch On! Web Browsing Guide, which contains a combination of mandatory rules and optional best practices for creating a .mobi website. The mandatory rules are:

“The homepage must be encoded in XHTML-MP”

When a .mobi website is accessed using a URL consisting of only the second-level domain name (e.g. example.mobi) or the second-level and third-level domain name (e.g. www.example.mobi or de.example.mobi) the resultant page must be encoded in the markup language XHTML-MP, unless the device accessing it is known to support an alternative choice of markup. XHTML-MP is a markup language designed for mobile-device-compatible websites.
Note that the subsequent site does not need to be mobile-device friendly, nor

“The visitor must not have to type in ‘www’”

Even if your site’s main address is www.example.mobi, a visitor typing in example.mobi must get a valid XHTML-MP page. Typing in www on a mobile device is often time-consuming, so the above rule is intended to aid usability for the visitor.

“You must not use frames”

The use of frames is strictly prohibited.

Other best practices

The Switch On Guides describe other best practices that they recommend. However, while these best practices are likely to benefit your business, the only hard and fast rules are the ones above.

What are the benefits of DotMobi?

Benefits for Cellular Consumers:

Two of the most significant technological revolutions of the past two decades have been the growth of the internet and the growth of mobile communication. Today, very few cell phone users currently use their mobile phones to access the internet. The demand for mobile internet access is reported to be high, but the services are still dogged by significant usability issues. DotMobi will solve some of these problems by providing a formalized address system, and imposing technical standards that will enhance usability.

Benefits for mobile network operators:

As revenues for voice services continue to fall, mobile network operators are increasingly looking to data services to drive revenues. Not only do data services increase the average revenue per user (ARPU), the churn for data customers is reported to be less, perhaps because changing to another service provider requires more work when data services are involved.

Mobile network operators may choose to include data service as part of a voice bundle, effectively making the service less of a commodity.

By promoting the mobile internet, DotMobi will help to generate new business for mobile network operators

Benefits for handset manufacturers

The mobile internet is the major driving force for the development of mobile network, at least in countries where the mobile industry is now mature. Mobile accessibility will become one of the main motives for users to upgrade their handsets.

Benefits for mobile infrastructure manufacturers

In many countries, cellular networks now have almost blanket coverage. Demand for increased data speeds is the greatest driver for updating network infrastructure.

For Website Owners, Content Providers and Entrepreneurs

When WAP was first launched, all the pieces of the mobile web “jigsaw puzzle” were not in place. In particular, outside of Japan, there was no mechanism by which content providers could profit from being involved in the mobile web.

This time around, things are different. Most of the problems have already been sorted out, and the mobile web appears to be about to explode in popularity. A range of payment methods now exist, meaning that phone users can make purchases on their phones.

The optimism is not based on hype. Mobile users already report that they would like to have access to the web from their phones. Advocates of DotMobi have suggested that the growth of the mobile web will resemble that of the worldwide web in the late 1990’s.

The audience is truly enormous. It is expected that the number of people accessing the web via a mobile device will soon exceed the number of internet-enabled PCs. DotMobi represents an enormous commercial opportunity – for providing existing services to a new, and mobile, audience, and for the development of new innovative services. Today, most people only have web access when they are sitting at their desks. The mobile web will allow them to carry out business with you wherever they go.

DotMobi will promote the mobile web by providing users with an easy reliable way of locating your website. The guidelines imposed by mTLD will ensure that your visitors get a good experience, regardless of which handset they use.

When will the domains go on sale?

Summary of the rollout

The “Sunrise” period (in this context, “Sunrise” appears to mean “not open to everyone”)

Limited Industry Sunrise	Open to companies that are closely related to the project, such as mobile phone companies	May 22nd to May 29th
Trademark Sunrise	During which companies may buy their trademarked names	June 12th to August 21st
General registration – Landrush	For everyone	August 28th to September 10th
General registration – Ongoing	For everyone	From September 14th

The DotMobi domains go on sale in four stages, as follows:

Sunrise periods

The first two stages are called “Sunrise” periods, during which owners of Intellectual Property, such as trademarks, have an opportunity to register their desired names. They are as follows:

Stage 1 – Limited Industry Sunrise – for companies that are closely related to the project, such as mobile phone companies

On Monday May 22nd 2006, the first DotMobi domain names will go on sale. On this day, companies that are in the mobile telecoms industry will be able to buy the DotMobi domain names of their trademarked terms. To qualify, companies must be a member of a mobile industry organisation, such as the GSM Association, CTIA or MMA. This period will last for one week, until the following Monday, May 29th 2006

Stage 2 – the Trademark Sunrise – during which all other companies may buy their trademarked terms

The Trademark Sunrise begins on Monday June 12th. This is the period when all other companies may buy their trademarked terms as DotMobi domain names. This period will continue for ten weeks, until Monday August 21st.

Stages 3 and 4 – General Registration (Landrush) and General Registration (Ongoing)

The following Monday, August 28th 2006, DotMobi domain names go on sale to everyone. This stage of “General Registration” will continue indefinitely. The first 13 days of this period will be called the “Landrush” period. During the Landrush period names that are expected to be particularly sought after – for example computers.mobi – will be available at a premium price.

Requirements and restrictions for the Sunrise periods

The Sunrise Registration Period starts on Monday June 12th, 2006 and finishes on Monday 21st August 2006. To register a domain name, the trademark holder must make their application to a registrar that is accredited by both ICANN and DotMobi.
Sunrise registrations must be for a minimum of two years and a maximum of ten years.
Owners of Trademarks will be required to provide the following information in order to register their domain names during the Sunrise period:

• Their trademark name, which must be at least three ASCII characters long
• Their trademark identification number
• The date of their trademark application, which must be before July 11th 2005
• The date on which the trademark was granted
• The country in which the trademark was registered

For the application to proceed, all of the above information must be accurately provided to mTLD. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. mTLD report that they will carry out random checks to verify that trademark details have been provided correctly.
Domain names can only be made up of ASCII characters that are identical to the textual elements of the trademark.
In the event that there is more than one applicant for a given Sunrise domain name, the domain name will be awarded to the applicant whose application was received first.

Priority registration for members of trade associations

Companies that are member of trade associations that are related to the mobile web – for example, the GSM Assocation, CTIA, MEF and MMA get a chance to register their trademarked domains during the Limited Industry Sunrise Period. This period is from May 22nd until May 29th. This allows member companies to get their DotMobi names before other companies are able to buy them.

Is my company eligible to apply during the Limited Industry Sunrise Period?

To qualify for the Limited Industry Sunrise Period, your company…

• must have applied before July 11th 2005 for the trademark it wishes to register

and

• must have a fully paid subscription to the GSM Association, CTIA, MEF or MMA. If your company is not on the membership list of one of these organisations, your application will not be valid, and will be revoked by mTLD.

If both of these criteria are met, your company may register its domain name during the Limited Industry Sunrise Period (from May 22nd until May 29th) with any registrar that is both accredited with ICANN and authorized for DotMobi. During registration, you must provide evidence that your companies satisfies the above two criteria. For this reason, it is recommended that you collect the relevant documentation well in advance of the May 22nd.
In the case of Criterion (b) (above), the membership lists of the relevant industry organisations will be relied upon.
Note that you can only register your trademarked name that appears on the membership list of the relevant trade association.

FAQ for the Sunrise Registration

What is the Sunrise Registration Period?

The Sunrise Registration period is a period before general registration begins, during which the holders of intellectual property, such as trademarks, get a chance to register as DotMobi addresses the terms that they own. This is intended to protect organisations against having their names bought by others.

Can I register domain names during the Sunrise Registration period?

If you have a trademark or service mark that was applied for prior to July 11 2005 and has been granted by the time you apply, you may register that trademark as a DotMobi address during the Sunrise Registration period.

What characters can be used in a DotMobi domain name?

The domain name must be made up of English language letters (from A to Z) and numerals (from 0 to 9). In addition, hyphens are permitted, as long as they are not at the beginning or end of the name. Other characters are not allowed. Spaces are not allowed. Non-English non-ASCII characters such as ü are not allowed at the moment, though at some point in the future mTLD expects to support what they call Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs), which would be able to contain such characters.

Will mTLD check that my trademark is valid?

mTLD has stated that it reserves the right to randomly check the validity of trademark information and other information that is supplied to it during the Sunrise periods, and it reserves the right to cancel any applications which it deems not to be eligible.

Can I view which names have been registered during the Sunrise periods?

Yes. Anyone may view these names using the WHOIS service.

What is WHOIS?

WHOIS is the database that stores information about all domain name registrations. The registered DotMobi domain names will become available via the forthcoming DotMobi WHOIS database.

What is the dispute process for domains that have been registered during the Sunrise period?

Following the Sunrise period there is a Challenge Period during which granted domain names may be challenged, according to the Sunrise Challenge process. Further details are given in the Sunrise Challenge Rules and Sunrise Challenge Policies documents.

What is the Sunrise Challenge Period?

The Sunrise Challenge Period lasts from Monday May 28th until Friday December 15th, during which time a challenge may be lodged against the awarding of a DotMobi domain name.
For challenges that involve names registered during the Landrush and General Registration periods, instead use ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP).

How soon may I transfer a DotMobi domain name that was registered during the Sunrise Registration Period?

If a DotMobi domain name was registered during the Sunrise Registration Period, it may be transferred soon after the end of the Sunrise Challenge Period, providing the initial application has not been challenged.

FAQ for General Registration

What is the General Registration Period?

The General Registration Period is when everyone can register DotMobi addresses. The only registrations that can be taken before this period are by companies registering their trademarks. The General Registration Period continues indefinitely. So unless you are a trademark holder wanting to register your trademark, this is the earliest opportunity you will have to register DotMobi addresses.

Am I eligible to register a DotMobi address during the General Registration period?

Yes – as long as you agree to the terms and conditions of your registrar and of mTLD who set the DotMobi rules.

Can I see which DotMobi domain names have been registered by other people and organisations?

Yes. Just like with other domain names, you will be able to see which names have been registered using the WHOIS service.

What is WHOIS?

WHOIS is the database that stores information about all domain name registrations. The registered DotMobi domain names will become available via the forthcoming DotMobi WHOIS database.

Can a domain name that has been registered during the General Registration Period be challenged?

Yes. To challenge a domain name application, visit the ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP).

How soon must a DotMobi domain name application be challenged?

There is no time limit.

For how many years must a DotMobi domain name be registered?

During the General Registration Period, domain names may be registered for at least two years and no more than ten years.

How soon can a domain name be transferred?

A DotMobi domain name that has been registered during the General Registration period may be transferred to another accredited registrar anything from 60 days after it was initially registered.