The number of names registered in the generic top-level domain .TEL fell under 100 thousand. The Domains reported this news using Registrar Stats statistics. .TEL is not a new domain, it was launched way back in 2005 and in 2009 it entered general availability phase. As of January 2011 there were more than 340 thousand domain names registered. After that «something went wrong».
The domain was advertised as a «global phonebook». When registering a name in it, user automatically received a sort of e-business card – a website with all contact data. Their storage directly in DNS system with instant changes to the contact list on all devices appeared as a promising idea. However, it hasn't been developed further. Presumably, one of the reasons for the lack of interest towards .TEL is the launch of new gTLDs with far more catchy and attractive names. However, even before they were launched in 2014 the number of registered names in .TEL decreased by 50% - to 150 thousand.
