.af
 | |
| Introduced | 16 October 1997 |
|---|---|
| TLDtype | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | AFGNIC |
| Sponsor | Ministry of Communications and Information Technology |
| Intended use | Entities connected withAfghanistan |
| Actual use | Some use in Afghanistan |
| Registered domains | 5960 (26 August 2020)[1] |
| Registration restrictions | Third-level names have restrictions based on whichsecond-levelname they are beneath. |
| Structure | Registrations are taken directly at the second level or at the third level beneath various second-levelsubdomains |
| Documents | ICANN MoU;Policies |
| Dispute policies | Dispute resolution procedures |
| Registry website | nic.af |
.afis theInternetcountry codetop-level domain(ccTLD) forAfghanistan.It is administered by AFGNIC, a service of theUNDP.As of 26 August 2020,.af was used by 5960domains.[1]
Registration is made directly at the second level, or on the third level beneath various categorized subdomains at the second level. Third-level domains have restrictions based on which second-level domain they are registered under. Registration on the second level is unrestricted, but more expensive. All fees are higher for international registrants.
The.af domain was delegated to Abdul Razeeq in 1997, a year afterTalibanfighters had captured Kabul and founded theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan.NetNames of London initially maintained the domain following an agreement with theIANA.[2]Razeeq later disappeared, halting some services. The domain was reopened on March 10, 2003, as a joint program betweenUNDPand theAfghan Ministry of Communications.[3]
With thefall of Kabulin 2021, the.af domain again came under the control of the Taliban.ICANNsaid it "defers decision making to within the country".[4][5]
In 2024, a number of.af domains including "broke.af" and "queer.af" went offline. TheAfghan Ministry of Communications and ITsaid that they were registered throughGandi,a France-baseddomain name registrar,and cited Gandi's failure to make payments as the reason for suspension.[6]
Second-level domains
[edit]- .gov.af
- .af
- .org.af
- .net.af
- .edu.af
- .tv.af
- .media.af[7]
References
[edit]- ^ab"Domain Count Statistics for TLDs".domaintools.Retrieved26 August2020.
- ^"IANA Report on Redelegation of the.af Top-Level Domain".
- ^Pitman, Tom (8 March 2003)."Afghanistan to Launch Internet Domain".Midland Daily News.Retrieved26 August2020.
- ^Bode, Karl (31 August 2021)."Afghanistan's Government Websites Are Frozen in Time".Vice.Retrieved30 December2021.
- ^Stokel-Walker, Chris (7 September 2021)."The battle for control of Afghanistan's internet".Wired UK.Retrieved30 December2021.
- ^Satter, Raphael (2024-02-16)."'broke.af' goes offline as Afghan web domains suspended amid payment dispute ".Reuters.Retrieved2024-02-17.
- ^"Dot AF New Announcement".nic.af.Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2020.Retrieved26 August2020.
External links
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