Icann, the body that manages the internet domain name system, has received 10 proposals for new top-level domain names, after asking organisations to make suggestions. If accepted the new domains will bring the total to 20 and will offer firms more niche addresses through which to target users.

Icann invited proposals in December with a cut-off date of 16 March.

A comment period will run from 1 April until May. Then the proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation panel. All proposing bodies that satisfy the posted criteria will be eligible to enter into technical and commercial negotiations with Icann about the allocation and sponsorship of the new domains.

Suggested sponsored domains include.xxx,.mail,.jobs,.travel and.mobi.

A group including Nokia has proposed a.mobi suffix for web sites offering mobile phone services and for internet-enabled mobile devices.

The.xxx suffix should be self-explanatory, while the other proposed options are mostly designed to help users find information on a particular topic - for example,.travel.

The.mail suffix was proposed by a London-based anti-spam organisation called Spamhaus. It said that its proposal, "represents the community of individuals and companies who wish to receive spam-free email, and individuals and companies who wish to send spam-free email and who do not want to be blocked, filtered or inconvenienced when doing so. The proposed (domain) will be limited for use by the registrant only during the process of sending email."

Another London-based group has proposed .tel, a domain to help users find phone numbers, pager and fax details and other contact details.