Registration for the 2022 Nordic Domain Days to be held in Stockholm in May 2022 has opened. The conference that focusses on the domain name industry in the five Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, and let’s not forget the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland as well, is aimed as a means of discussing domain name issues for the Nordic region, and is aimed at registries, registrars, resellers, service providers and investors.
There are three levels of registration for the 2022 event to be held in Sweden’s capital – standard attendees (€199), VIP (€599) and partners (from €2,500). For more information or to register, go to: https://nordicdomaindays.se/
Third Round Of .TH Second-Level Registrations Open
The THNIC Foundation, the policy and regulatory body for Thailand’s ccTLD .th, has launched the third round of .th Second-Level registrations which will run until 30 November 2021.
All proceeds from .th SLD domain name registrations and renewals will be allocated to fund projects that aim to THNIC Academy training projects and develop Internet infrastructures for public benefit in Thailand. To register a .th SLD or for further details and guidelines, see: https://www.thnic.co.th/sld
Surge of COVID-Related .SK Domains in 2020 Comes To An End
SK-NIC, the policy and regulatory body for Slovakia’s ccTLD .sk, has released an analysis of registrations in the ccTLD since the COVID-19 pandemic commenced in early 2020. SK-NIC found Slovakians registered nearly 1,300 domain names relating to the pandemic in the first half of 2020.
The domains included strings that directly related to COVID and the pandemic but also related products, goods and services. But in the first half of 2021 there were only 251 related domain names registered. Not only did the numbers decline, the terms registered also changed, being more related to stricter measures, testing and planned vaccination.
Webcheck.pt Now Available In .PT’s Domain Management System
Portugal’s ccTLD manager .PT has recently made available a new feature on SIGA, which allows the use of the webcheck.pt platform by those responsible for domain names, directly in the reserved domain management area at: registrarv2.dns.pt.
webcheck.pt is an online platform, developed by .PT and the Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center, which allows users to verify, in real time, the level of compliance of an internet domain and an email with the latest standards for the secure communication between systems, such as HTTPS, DNSSEC or SPF.
Ghana Domain Name Registry Gets First Governing Board
Ghana’s Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, swore into office a nine member board of trustees for the Ghana Domain Name Registry (GDNR), calling for members to use their diverse backgrounds, skills and expertise to carefully navigate the redelegation process to ensure its successful completion.
“Once this is completed, a lot more Registrars can be brought on board to sell .GH domain names and thus allow for best practice using the 3-R model (Registrant, Registrar and Registry) in Ghana. Allowing many more Registrar companies to be involved will increase the reach of the Registry and enliven the DNs ecosystem in Ghana as a whole” the Minister said.
The Minister went on to stress the board is vital to the Government’s digitalisation agenda since the local domain names form a core part of the local Internet.
“The Registry is a crucial resource for everyone as the transfer of individuals onto digital platforms is part of the digital economy. This would allow individuals, government, and commercial institutions to take full advantage of the numerous benefits the Internet brings, accelerating the growth of the economy generally”.
According to Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful the GDNR is still in its formative stages and that places a responsibility on the Governing Board to fully operationalise it and provide the needed strategic direction to ensure that the GDNR plays its role in Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
.DK Introduces Major System Update
DK Hostmaster, Denmark’s ccTLD manager, has introduced what they’re describing as a “major system update” with four new initiatives:
- Registrants will now be able to choose to let a registrar handle the administration of their domain name, while maintaining the same consumer protection. It means it is no longer necessary to use DK Hostmaster to perform administrative tasks related to .dk domain names.
- A registration period of up to 10 years.
- A new web-based form for contacting DK Hostmaster’s customer service.
- A new name server change process so the registrant or proxy of the .dk domain name must download a unique code, authorisation code via DK-Hostmaster’s self-service.
Canada’s CIRA Commits To A Greener Internet Through New Environmental Sustainability Strategy
CIRA announced its new environmental sustainability strategy to do its part to reduce the environmental impact of the Canadian registry’s operations and promote a greener internet in Canada.
The initiative is a key element of CIRA’s current five-year strategic plan to work towards more sustainable operations and help Canada achieve its climate change goals. The environmental sustainability strategy encompasses three pillars: green workplace, green operations, and green internet.
CIRA is a member of the Ottawa Green Business Network, joining a community of Ottawa businesses that have made a commitment to reduce emissions. CIRA’s headquarters are also located in a LEED gold-certified building, advancing CIRA’s objectives to improve sustainability performance while fostering a thriving community. In the first year of its strategy, CIRA is prioritizing sustainability in its operations, which includes accurately measuring environmental impact across CIRA’s global data centres.