− | In 2001, Mr. Zuurbier proposed the .tk project to the island's elders. Tokelau was an ideal home for the project given that its national domain had never been delegated and that they had no other ICT infrastructure. Thus, the project would immediately begin to benefit the local people, while also creating an innovative [[ccTLD#Open ccTLD|Open ccTLD]] on the global Internet. It took 5 years to convince [[ICANN]] of the project's validity. The Internet body insisted on meeting the local elders, likely to ensure that the business deal was legitimate and that they were not being misled about their own ccTLD rights. For a time, ICANN also insisted that the servers and other infrastructure be hosted on the island. They later waived this requirement when they learned how difficult that would be. The money brought in through the venture has been reinvested in Tokelau's ICT development, providing for high-speed satellite connections and Internet cafes.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/25/internet.guardianweeklytechnologysection Internet, guardian.co.uk]</ref> | + | In 2001, Mr. Zuurbier proposed the .tk project to the island's elders. Tokelau was an ideal home for the project given that its national domain had never been delegated and that they had no other ICT infrastructure. Thus, the project would immediately begin to benefit the local people, while also creating an innovative open ccTLD on the global Internet. It took 5 years to convince [[ICANN]] of the project's validity. The Internet body insisted on meeting the local elders, likely to ensure that the business deal was legitimate and that they were not being misled about their own ccTLD rights. For a time, ICANN also insisted that the servers and other infrastructure be hosted on the island. They later waived this requirement when they learned how difficult that would be. The money brought in through the venture has been reinvested in Tokelau's ICT development, providing for high-speed satellite connections and Internet cafes.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/25/internet.guardianweeklytechnologysection Internet, guardian.co.uk]</ref> |