VeriSign, Inc. announced Thursday the launch dates for their latest TLD, .web. The Sunrise Period begins on 10 December with a plan approved by ICANN. The launch comes a decade after the .com and .net registry controversially acquired the TLD.
Verisign acquired .web for US$135 million back in 2016 in a controversial acquisition providing the funds to Nu Dot Co LLC to enable the company to acquire the top-level domain. There were legal challenges to Verisign’s acquisition from the likes of TLD registry Donuts, who merged with Afilias in 2022 and is now known as Identity Digital. These were well described by Domain Incite.
In their announcement Verisign outlined how .web will be available in three phases:
- Sunrise Period (10 December to 11 January 2027): Priority registration opens for verified trademark holders with Signed Mark Data files in the ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse to secure exact match .web domain names on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Priority Access Program Period (12 January to 5 April): During this period, most existing .com registrants can register the matching .web domain name with their current registrar.
- General Registration Period (6 April 2027): Registration opens to the public on a first-come, first-served basis through ICANN-accredited registrars.