After a year of waiting to get its own top-level domain extension, New York City announced on July 2 that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the city's use of Dot-NYC. Businesses, organizations and residents can now register for a url for their websites that will mark their online portal with the distinct ".nyc" extension.

“Having our own unique, top-level domain – .nyc – puts New York City at the forefront of the digital landscape and creates new opportunities for our small businesses,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a press release. “They’ll now be able to identify themselves as connected to New York City, one of the world’s strongest and most prestigious brands.”

Registrants for the new domain must have a physical address in New York City where they conduct business or maintain an office. Registration will begin later this year, and fees are yet to be determined. More information is available at the www.mydotnyc.com website.

Officials call the geographic top-level domain a critical piece of the city's digital strategy, aimed at helping residents easily find government services online, promoting local businesses and encouraging tourism.

New York City has a five-year contract with Virginia-based registry vendor Neustar, to manage the .nyc domain extension. The company handles multiple domains, such as dot-us, dot-co and dot-biz. Under the terms of the contract, Neustar covered the $185,000 application fee paid to ICANN, as well as all expenses related to the top-level domain. New York City is guaranteed at least $3.6 million in revenue during the five-year period.