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On a tiny island,
catchy Web name sparks a battle
Page 4 of 6
That same year, Mr. Semich quit his magazine job and got into the
business full time. He started a small software company offering
clients the ability to have domain names in languages that don't use
the Roman alphabet. And he trolled about for available domain names
that seemed marketable. He settled on dot-nu, thinking it would be a
catchy domain name for U.S. companies looking for a cheaper
alternative to dot-com. At the time, a new dot-com address cost $100
to register for two years. After lining up the necessary servers,
contacts on the ground in Niue and approval from Icann -- a process
that took several months in all -- Mr. Semich was up and running.
Icann required only information that he had the technical
capabilities to manage a domain name. There was no fee. But Mr. Semich
did spend about $100,000 on servers and other equipment to get the
business started.
The expression of interest from an American entrepreneur was at
first warmly welcomed by Niue, which hasn't had many breaks over the
years.
With its closest neighbor, Tonga, more than 350 miles away, Niue
ranks among the most remote places on Earth. British explorer Captain
James Cook got a bad taste of the island when he visited in 1774.
After shouting natives chased him and his crew away, he dubbed the
place "Savage Island." Subsequent settlers were surprised to find
vegetation on the chunk of coral rising from the sea, calling the
place Niue, which in the local language means, "Look, there's a
coconut." When Niue finally built an airport in 1971, thousands of
Niueans used the opportunity to emigrate.
Along with selling local stamps and fishing rights, the biggest
source of revenue for islanders is foreign aid. The government is by
far the largest employer. In January 2004, a mammoth cyclone
devastated much of Niue, prompting even more to emigrate.
When Mr. Semich arrived on the scene, he says Telecom Niue wasn't
interested in the domain name or in offering Internet service, because
it feared the Internet would sap its revenue from faxes. Mr. Hipa of
Telecom Niue says the government was just beginning to formulate an
Internet policy but believed the domain name was just "like an
international dialing code prefix."
Mr. Semich hired two expatriates on the island: Richard St. Clair,
a former Peace Corps volunteer from San Jose, Calif., and a New
Zealander named Stafford Guest, who runs a hotel and bar. Their chief
task has been to erect Internet service on the island.
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Page 5
Source: Post-gazette.com
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