.KY domain names will be available to all as of 2 September 2015, but the regulatory body is introducing a registration fee for the first time.

The Cayman Islands Information and Communications Technology Authority has announced changes to its terms and conditions. Currently only individuals and entities located on the Cayman Islands are allowed to register .ky domains and they are free. But this costs the ICTA around $120,000 per year according to media reports.

The changes will mean anyone anywhere will be able to register .ky domains, but for an annual fee of $39.98 through the new provider of registry services, Uniregistry.

Registrants who had a .ky domain as of 2 March 2015 will have to re-apply before 2 September to renew that domain’s registration otherwise the domain will lapse and be available to all.

And there are restrictions though on how one uses their .ky domains. You will not be able to promote pornographic material, alcohol, gambling or spam.

“The .KY domain has been around longer than the ICTA, and up until now has been available free of charge to anyone who wanted to own a .KY domain name,” explained  ICTA Managing Director Alee Fa’amoe.

“The purpose of introducing the fee at this time is to give the domain some structure which will allow us to manage it better in partnership with Uniregistry. In addition, we think it will provide more accountability to the domain owners, and encourage them to actually utilise their .KY domain. We currently have approximately 10,000 domain name owners who would have to re-register and we hope that they will do so but we also look forward to welcoming new registrants before the September deadline.”

The move to better regulate the .KY domain and market internationally was welcomed by the Director of e-Government, Ian Tibbetts, who is tasked with overseeing the government’s transition to online services for many of its current customer interactions.

“I am pleased with the ICTA’s move to open the .KY domain as I believe it will strengthen the Cayman Islands’ position in the global market place, and is closely aligned with the Government’s determination to move forward with E-Government and work to enhance the perception and competitiveness of the jurisdiction,” said Tibbetts.

The ICTA is launching a public awareness campaign to educate the community about domains, specifically the importance and benefits of owning a dot KY domain. A Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ICTACayman – has been created and the public can also log on to www.icta.ky for more information or to search available domain names.