Registrars of Bermudian Internet addresses may soon pay for the privilege when a new committee dedicated to the administration of the dot bm domain begins meeting later this month.

The plan to implement fees is one of the issues the nine-member Domain Advisory Board, created by the Ministry of Telecommunications and E-Commerce, is expected to tackle.

Nick Faries, the Director of Information Systems at the Bermuda College and administrator of Bermuda's dot bm country domain said the Island was one of only a few countries that does not charge for registration of Internet addresses.

Network Solutions, the primary Internet registration authority in the United States, charges registrars between $25 and $35 annually for rights to dot com, dot org and dot net Internet addresses. Vacant addresses can be registered instantly via their website.

"There are almost definitely going to be some kind of fees (in Bermuda) in the near future,'' Mr. Faries said.

"The quality of service you get is relative to the price, and right now (dot bm) addresses are a freebie provided by the Bermuda College,'' he said.

Mr. Faries, who will be on the committee, said he would like to facilitate the registration process, which requires paperwork in addition to online forms.

During the early stages of Internet development, the Bermuda College was appointed as the domain registration authority in Bermuda by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international authority that regulates Internet addresses. Through the Bermuda Network Information Centre (NIC), the College vets all applications for new addresses and works with the Ministry of Telecommunications and E-Commerce in the development of registration policy and procedures.

As desirable dot com Internet addresses become increasingly hard to come by, ICANN has approved seven new suffixes, including dot biz, dot info and dot name. However, the potential of Bermuda's dot bm domain has remained largely untapped, with only 2,000 or so registrations.

The small number of addresses is largely due to the BermudaNIC's policy to limit the use of dot bm domain names to registered Bermuda companies and charities. The rule was introduced by the Ministry of Telecommunications to prevent cybersquatting, or speculation of popular Internet addresses, and thus "maintain the integrity and reputation of the dot bm domain''.

While the policy prevents registrars from snatching relatively high-potential addresses like dell.bm, it also prohibits Bermuda residents from registering their own personal addresses, and may come under the scrutiny of the new committee because some see it as unfairly favouring companies over individuals.

"I certainly agree with the concept of protecting the dot bm domain,'' continued Mr. Faries.

"I don't know if limiting the domain to registered companies is the way to go about doing that.'' Registrars may have to pay for addresses Although Mr. Faries said the Bermuda NIC had received few requests for personal domain names or complaints about the policy, he added that the registration procedure, which requires a signed letter on corporate stationery, probably precluded many from attempting to register for a personal website.

"I would like to see domain names be available more inclusively and expand the dot bm domain,'' he said, although he was unsure of what middle-ground solutions could be found between the current strict regulations and a first-come, first-served free for all common in many other countries.

Vicki Coelho, sales and marketing manager of NorthRock Communications, said she could understand the reasons behind the Government policy but was in favour of allowing for easier domain registrations, including those by individuals.

"I know that for some small and non-profit organisations, getting a domain name has been cumbersome,'' Mrs. Coelho said.

"If the person pays taxes, that's enough for me to allow for a registration.

But obviously there needs to be some kind of association between the organisation (or person) and the domain name.'' However, she was sceptical about plans to implement fees because she thought the volume of Bermuda's registry was too small to make charging viable.

Government Telecommunications consultant Don Donovan said the Domain Advisory Board was set up in December, but refused to release the names of the eight other members until a list was published in the official Government gazette.