Apparently CNN has a text-only alternative method to tune in to its website, created specifically for people who may have a weak Internet connection on their iPhone. The publication is using a .IO domain name for this, as mentioned this evening in a tweet:
In Hurricane #Irma’s path with a weak phone connection? Stay up to date with the text-only version of our website https://t.co/yw1InfchB0
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 9, 2017
For some reason, if you visit CNN.io and not the Lite.CNN.io web address that is promoted, you won’t reach a resolving website. In my opinion, they should forward the main domain name to the “lite” version, at least until they need to use it for something else.
It looks like CNN has owned the CNN.io domain name since 2013, but I don’t recall seeing them promote the url before this evening. In fact, I just did a Twitter search for “lite.cnn.io” and it looks like the first mention of the url was this evening’s tweet.
For those who are in Irma’s path, I wish you the best. Hopefully, you come out unscathed.