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The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers accepted a plan to free up constraints on the end of URLs that have become familiar and routine to Internet users.

Currently restricted to domains that end with ".com", ".org", ".net" and 18 other approved address tags, the plan submitted by stakeholders would end those restrictions.

If the final version of the plan is approved in a formal vote by ICANN board, Internet users could chose their own endings, ICANN said in a statement.

New York City could switch to ".nyc" addresses, while companies could use brand names, the statement said.

"This is going to be very important for the future of the Internet in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia", Peter Thrush, ICANN's chairman said.

"The potential here is huge", President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Twomey said.

"It's a massive increase in the 'real estate' of the Internet."

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