Languages on the move in the Internet landscape

Sept. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- Brussels, 22 September 2014 - “Only by pursuing a policy of multilingualism in Internet access can we give effect to our policy of an Internet that is truly global, and truly accessible to all.” states European Commission Vice-President, Neelie Kroes, in the foreword of the IDN World Report 2014 produced by EURid with UNESCO in cooperation with Verisign and the country code Top Level Domain regional organisations (CENTR, LACTLD, APTLD and AFTLD).

Internationalised domain names (IDNs) were first launched at the second level (for example, παράδειγμα.eu) in 2000. From 2009, it became possible to register domain names entirely in non-Latin scripts (for example, 例子.中国). At the end of 2013, there were 6 million IDNs (including second level names and IDN TLDs). Although this is a large number, it is just 2% of the world’s registered domain names (270 million).

EURid, the registry manager of the .eu top-level domain, has been supporting IDNs at the second level since late 2009 and has applied for the .eu in Greek and Cyrillic to ensure that the EU citizens can enjoy a complete IDN experience when writing languages that are not based on the Latin alphabet. “We are proud to have supported multilingualism through IDNs since the very beginning and to offer an extended customer support in all 24 official EU  languages and, hopefully in the near future, the .eu TLD in Greek and Cyrillic,” commented EURid’s External Relations manager Giovanni Seppia

The report contains evidence that shows that, far from being “internationalised”, IDNs are intensely localised.  They are strongly linked to local language content, and although they occur in diverse writing systems, the location of such scripts is closely coupled to countries and regions where related languages are spoken.

New gTLDs promised to fulfil unmet needs in the domain name system. One obvious need is for enhanced linguistic diversity. With 90% of new gTLD strings (for example .photography) either in English language, or understandable in English, that opportunity has been lost – for now.

“The growth potential for Internet penetration is in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America where English is not the primary language. For IDNs to fulfill their potential, multiple actors need to make changes to hasten universal acceptance, so that IDNs can be used seamlessly in every environment,” concludes the report’s main author Emily Taylor.

Download the full report at link.eurid.eu/insights.

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About .eu and EURid

The .eu domain ranks among the largest top-level domains in the world, connecting more than 500 million people across 31 countries to one Internet identity. More than 3.5 million .eu names have been registered since the domain opened for registration in 2005. Many companies and brands use a .eu website as a practical solution to convey a clear European identity and their business ambitions, including Fairtrade International, Foot Locker, Louis Vuitton, the MAN Group, Microsoft Corporation, Orangina and Toyota.

EURid is the not-for-profit organisation that operates the .eu top-level domain, following a tender process and appointment by the European Commission. EURid works with over 750 accredited registrars and provides support in the 24 official EU languages. As part of its ongoing commitment to data security, EURid has been certified for the ISO27001 security standard since 2013. EURid is also registered by the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), which is an expression of its environmental commitment. EURid has its headquarters in Brussels (Belgium), and regional offices in Pisa (Italy), Prague (the Czech Republic) and Stockholm (Sweden). More information at: http://www.eurid.eu.

For media information, please contact:
UK – Email: Kate.warwick@prsavvy.co.uk     Tel: 078 1069 7282
Eurid - Email: press@eurid.eu         Press room: http://www.eurid.eu/en/about-us/press-room