PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Early next year, the floodgates will open to cities and companies who want their own version of “dot com.”  Philly and families can get in on the action, too — for a price.

Instead of going to phila.gov, you could — someday — go to .phila.

“This has been called the biggest change to the Internet since the introduction of .com back in 1985.”

Ben Crawford, who heads the Internet registrar CentralNic, says this past summer, ICANN, the international regulator of .com, .org, and the like, decided to allow more of those top-level domains for brands and places (like .coke and .nike, or .nyc and .berlin).  Think something like .cars for an auto dealer who wants to corner the generic TLD market.

Mayor Nutter’s office says the city is reviewing the issue and will make a decision shortly.  They’ll have to — the application window closes in April.

And it’s not cheap — there’s a $185,000 application cost and then a $25,000 fee every year after that.

Crawford’s company — dotfamilyname.com — also can register your “dot name.”

“Families who see themselves and who have the means to position themselves in that same way that a top brand or a global city would position themselves on the Internet would absolutely take advantage of this.”

If they have deep pockets — he’s charging a half-million dollars and a yearly maintenance fee around $100,000.

Reported by Ian Bush, KYW Newsradio 1060