The .TEL domain is the business card of domain extensions. Its stand-alone web presence makes it easy for customers to find key contact information about your brand in one location. Up until now, .TEL has not been your traditional domain extension because it couldn’t be used for the common purpose of building a website, it was instead only used for contact information. In 2017 that is all about to change.

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The mission of .TEL remains to provide a web address for publishing contact details online. The new Telhosting platform will be a single page product.

Some new features

  • Add PDF documents
  • Add Promotional product/service offers
  • Add Images and Video
  • Sell Products and services via a PayPal interface

What happens to current .TEL domains?

The new platform and will not be offering multiple pages or sub-domains and cannot co-exist with the current .TEL platform. Anyone currently using the Telhosting platform will need to back up their domain data before March 12, 2017, or you will lose it. Users will then be able to use this data to populate content outside of Telhosting if they wish.

You will not be able to access your .TEL domain data starting March 13, 2017, and Telnic will assume responsibility for providing .TEL users with access and support.

.TEL decided to make these changes based on community feedback and we know our customers will be excited to now have the option of building a single page website. We’re looking forward to seeing a more contemporary platform for .TEL in 2017 and are also excited about the .BANK domain!

 

FAQ

  1. When will the restrictions be lifted from .tel and what will be my options then be for using my domain?

All restrictions will be lifted from .tel on 13th March 2017. From this date, and subject to your registrar or reseller support, you will be able to use your .tel domain as a normal website, continue to take advantage of our free, new Telhosting platform or opt for a paid for Telhosting service which incorporates subdomains with a 3rd party hosting provider.

  1. When will I be able to access my new Telhosting account?

From 13th February 2017, Telnic will issue (by email) new Telhosting account details to all .tel owners. From this date, .tel owners will be able to log in and manage content on the new platform. Please note that this content will not display on the internet until the current Telhosting platform is retired on 13th March 2017.

  1. What happens if I do not receive my new account details by the end of February 2017?

If you have not received account details for your new Telhosting account by the end of February 2017, you should contact Telnic by sending an email to [email protected] confirming the domain name(s) in question. We will be using the email address that you have stored in your old Telhosting account profile for your new TelHosting account. Additionally we will use the email address that is associated with the domain registrant in our WHOIS to contact you. To ensure that you receive our communications, you are advised to ensure that these email addresses are current and accurate.

  1. When will the current Telhosting platform be retired?

The current Telhosting platform will be retired and taken offline on 13th March 2017. You can continue to use the current Telhosting platform up to 12th March 2017 but not after this date.

  1. What happens to my data on the current Telhosting platform after 13th March 2017?

.tel domain owner data that resides on the current Telhosting system will not be accessible after 13th March 2017. Any .tel domain owner that wishes to extract a copy of their data from the current system should run the BACKUP function from their current Telhosting account before 13th March 2017. This will produce an XML file containing all of their data which can be used either as a reference for populating their new account or as a data source for populating an independent and separate 3rd party hosting solution.

  1. What happens if I do not make a copy of my data before the 13th of March 2017?

If you do not make a copy of your data before 13th March 2017, the data will be deleted and not recoverable as the current Telhosting platform is being retired.

  1. Why is Telnic not migrating my data from the current Telhosting platform to the new?

The current Telhosting platform is being retired and the new platform is not designed as a like for like replacement in terms of functionality or data structure. As such, there is no direct data migration path from old to new so you will need to log in and republish your contact records in order to take advantage of new functionality that does not exist in the current platform. The vast majority of .tel owners only publish a single page of contacts and content and re-publishing will be a very quick exercise.

  1. What if I wish to continue to host my .tel domain on a platform that supports subdomains?

The current Telhosting platform will be shut down on 13th March 2017. If you would like to continue to host your .tel domain on a similar Telhosting platform that supports subdomains please contact [email protected] and we will help you to review hosting options

  1. What happens to any new .tel domains that I register before 13th March 2017?

Up to 13th March 2017, you will continue to manage your .tel for live internet publishing purposes on the current platform.

  1. What happens to any new .tel domains that I buy after 13th March 2017?

After 13th March 2017, you will receive information from your registrar and Telnic informing you of the process to claim your free hosting account for your new .tel domain. Telnic’s web site (www.telnic.org) will have a page dedicated to Telhosting management. On this page, .tel owners will be able to set up a new telhosting account, add .tel domains to an existing account as well as manage their domain(s) and request support.

Alternatively, you may opt to use your .tel for the purpose of your own choosing.

  1. What happens if I do not access my new Telhosting account and add some contacts or content?

The content from your current Telhosting account will disappear on 13th March 2017. If you have not populated your new Telhosting account with any data by this date, your .tel domain will show a standard template page. Any content that you add after 13th March will automatically be published.

  1. What happens if I take no action before 13th March 2017?

If you do not take any action before 13th March 2017, an account will be automatically created for you and your domains on the new Telhosting platform and we will send you the access details by email. Your new account and domains will remain empty and inactive until you login and add content. Your account and data on the current Telhosting system will not be accessible after 12th March 2017 so it is important that you backup any data you wish to keep before this date.

  1. Is there a smartphone app to help manage my .tel domain content on the new Telhosting platform?

Yes. Telnic will have a new iOS and Android app that will enable .tel owners using Telhosting to fully manage their domain content using their smartphone. Free downloads will be available from our web site or from the Apple and Google Play stores. These apps will be available for download in March 2017.

  1. What are the functional differences between the current and new Telhosting platforms?

The new Telhosting platform will be a single page product.  You can see an example of the new product in use at:  http://telpage.tel. It provides a more modern interface that allows the user to:

  • Publish contact and content records
  • Add PDF documents
  • Add Promotional product/service offers
  • Add Images and Video
  • Sell Products and services via a PayPal interface
  • Add custom design
  • Add an image advert

The new platform does not support a number of features from the current platform detailed in the list below. The decision to exclude these features was based on customer feedback and usage statistics.

  • Multiple pages or sub-domains
  • Telfriends and private data support
  • .tel search functionality
  • Multiple profile support
  • Telhosting product language support for Arabic, Czech, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Russian.
  • SOAP API access for registrars and domain owners
  • Google Ad sense integration
  1. How will Telnic support the new Telhosting platform?

From 13th March 2017, all support requests from domain owners that use the new Telhosting platform should be sent to [email protected]. Telnic will handle these requests directly.

  1. If I am not using the Telhosting platform, who do I contact for .tel domain support?

Starting 13th March 2017, if you have questions about your domain name and are not using the Telhosting platform, you should contact your registrar or reseller for support or the 3rd party hosting provider if you have opted to use this service.

  1. Will domain owners be charged for the new Telhosting platform?

No. Telnic will continue to provide a free and optional Telhosting service to all .tel community members.

  1. Will my domain registration and ownership status be affected by the Telhosting changes?

No. You will continue to be the owner of your .tel domain and there is no change to the contractual relationship you have with your registrar or reseller with respect to domain renewal and other domain-specific activities such as transfers and WHOIS updates. Your registrar will still be your point of contact with respect to these key domain lifecycle activities.