.ga
 | |
| Introduced | 12 December 1994 |
|---|---|
| TLDtype | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | ANINF |
| Sponsor | ANINF |
| Intended use | Entities connected with Gabon |
| Actual use | Sees some use in Gabon and relatively rare use as a general-purpose domain |
| Registration restrictions | Must have presence in Gabon or justify any other direct or indirect link with Gabon. Geographical names and names associated with public/government entities prohibited. |
| Structure | Registrations are available directly at second level |
| Documents | Naming Charter (French) Policies (French) |
| Dispute policies | UDRP |
| Registry website | mon.ga |
.gais thecountry code top-level domain(ccTLD) forGabon.
History[edit]
Between 1998 and 2004 it was administered by theOffice des Postes et Télécommunications de la République Gabonaiseand then transferred toGabon Telecom.Gabon Telecomin 2013 formed a partnership with international domain registrarFreenomto offer registrations of this domain for free.[1]
Since 2013, theAgence Nationale des Infrastructures Numériques et des Fréquences(ANINF) of Gabon is responsible for the.ga domain.[2]
In 2023, ANINF terminated their contract with Freenom because it found Freenom's service unsatisfactory. ANINF stated that upwards of seven million.ga domains would be deleted, as "the previous operator has not provided the data that concern them."[3]The migration was carried out from 4 June to 7 June 2023. With this migration, free domain registration was removed.[4]
The technical operation is handled byAFNICand domains are sold through accredited registrars.[3]
Denial of Registration to Kim Dotcom[edit]
Kim Dotcomattempted to use me.ga as an alternative domain for theMegaupload service.It was suspended by Communications MinisterBlaise Louembewho stated "Gabon cannot serve as a platform or screen for committing acts aimed at violating copyrights, nor be used by unscrupulous people."[5]
Second-level domain names[edit]
Second-level domain names that end in.ga are:[6]
- .gouv.ga– government
- .co.ga– commercial organizations
- .edu.ga,univ.ga– schools, universities, academies
References[edit]
- ^"Free and paid domains".Retrieved19 September2016.
- ^"Report on the Redelegation of the.GA domain representing Gabon to Agence Nationale des Infrastructures Numériques et des Fréquences".iana.org.Retrieved2023-06-20.
- ^ab".ga domain names soon to return to Gabonese management"(PDF).30 May 2023.Retrieved2 June2023.
- ^"Migration of the.ga top-level domain".mon.ga.Retrieved2023-06-20.
- ^"Gabon to suspend new Megaupload site".phys.org.Retrieved2022-11-03.
- ^".ga naming charter"(PDF).Retrieved2023-06-20.