Consortium to start releasing mobile-only internet addresses

[Keyword: onlinejournalism]. The Guardian reports that an 11-member consortium of mobile phone and internet companies* has been "given the right to give out .mobi addresses to businesses that want to provide internet content for mobile phones. The first sites with the address should start appearing early next year."

A welcome move, especially as "Companies buying a .mobi address must adhere to a style guide which will ensure that the site can be viewed on a phone". Presumably this will involve getting more sites to use XHTML and CSS (although I'm not sure why the consortium has to assign the names rather than Icann).

*Hutchison 3, the GSM Association, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Syniverse Technologies, TIM, Telefónica Móviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone.