The Internet domain-name governing body has approved, after years of discussion, the use of internet addresses that consist solely of non-Latin characters. “The coming introduction of non-Latin characters represents the biggest technical change to the Internet since it was created four decades ago,” said Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush in a statement. “Right now internet address endings are limited to Latin characters – A to Z. But the Fast Track Process is the first step in bringing the 100,000 characters of the languages of the world online for domain names.”

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, announced a newly created position of Vice President, Government Affairs (Americas), with primary responsibility for policy development and advocacy before the U.S., Latin America, and Canadian governments.

An agreement reached by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was praised Wednesday by Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., Chairman of the Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee.