Another delay in domain name expansion

There's another delay in efforts to create hundreds of Internet address suffixes to join ".com" and others in use.

Last week, a technical glitch forced the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which is in charge of domain names, to abruptly shut down a system for letting companies and organizations apply for new names.

The system was supposed to reopen Tuesday, but ICANN says it needs more time to inform applicants that may have been affected by the glitch. ICANN indicated it might take until the end of the week to provide an update.

The delay shouldn't have a major effect on the availability of new suffixes, however. The new names wouldn't appear in general use until at least next spring.