Nominet, the non-profit organisation that looks after all net addresses ending in .uk, has proposed a new domain name that is simply that. The body wants nternet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to consider plans to offer UK-based companies a shorter URL.

The idea is that .uk would be more expensive, but offer greater security features. The .uk name would cost a business a £20 a year flat rate. Currently, a .co.uk domain costs £5 every two years.

Speaking to the BBC, Eleanor Bradley, Nominet's director of operations, explained that a smaller URL hadbeen requested many times. "We have been asked over the many years we've been in operation as to whether or not we would allow these shorter domain names," she said.

The justification of the more hefty fee is that Nominet would perform daily malware scanning of the domain names and associated sites. They would also be DNSSEC-signed [Domain Name System Security Extensions] - a security protocol that adds a digital signature to a domain in order to protect it from hijacking and more.

"It would all be brought together with a Trust Mark so that consumers and people visiting these .uk domain names would get an immediate indication of the security and nature of the registration," Bradley added.

The consultation period for .uk will run until 7 January 2013.