.tel

.tel is a sponsored top-level domain originally created around internet communications and contact information. It launched with a distinctive model that stored contact-oriented information directly in DNS, rather than behaving like an ordinary website namespace in every respect.

The registry changed that practical model in 2017. The old DNS restrictions were lifted, and Telnames now describes .tel as usable for a normal hosted website if the registrant does not want to use the optional Telhosting profile service. That makes current .tel use much more flexible than many descriptions written during its original launch suggest.

The extension can still be a natural fit for contact pages, directories, communications services, personal profiles and businesses where telephone or direct contact is central to the identity. For a general brand, however, “tel” strongly suggests communication, so the name should support that expectation.

General Availability has been open to registrants broadly, and current registration is treated as open in VYR. .tel remains a sponsored TLD with registry-specific policies, so registrants should follow the current Telnames rules rather than relying on obsolete pre-2017 technical restrictions.