.gb
 | |
| Introduced | 24 July 1985 |
|---|---|
| TLDtype | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Unused (reserved) |
| Registry | JANET(Jisc) |
| Intended use | Entities connected with Great Britain (theUnited Kingdom) |
| Actual use | Fallen into disuse in favour of.uk |
| Registration restrictions | No registrations presently being taken |
| Structure | Government sites formerly found underhmg.gb |
.gbis a reservedInternetcountry codetop-level domain(ccTLD) for theUnited Kingdom,derived fromGreatBritain.
The domain was introduced with RFC 920[1]in October 1984 that set out the creation of ccTLD generally using country codes derived from the corresponding two-letter code in theISO 3166-1list. However, the.ukdomain had been created separately a few months before the compilation of this list.[2]Consequently,.gb was never widely used. It is no longer possible to register under this domain.
.gb was used for a number of years, mainly by British government organisations and commerciale-mailservices usingX.400-based e-mail infrastructure. This simplified translating between DNS domains and X.400 addresses, which used "GB" as a country code.[3]
With the demise ofX.400e-mail and IANA's general aim of one TLD per country, use of.gb declined; the domain remains in existence, but it is not currently open to new domain registrations.
As of 2021[update],dra.hmg.gbstill exists, with at least three subdomains resolving throughDNS(although none serve a website):hermes.dra.hmg.gb,delos.dra.hmg.gb,anddfhnet.dra.hmg.gb.[4][5][6]The domain was originally owned by theDefence Research Agency,[7]which became theDefence Evaluation and Research Agencyin 1995 and was split intoQinetiQand theDefence Science and Technology Laboratoryin 2001; the website became defunct some time thereafter.[8]
As of November 2022[update],Central Digital and Data Office's (seeCabinet Office) intention is to informICANNearly in 2023 that the UK wishes to retire.gb.[9]
References[edit]
- ^J. Postel and J. Reynolds (October 1984),Request for Comments: 920,Network Working Group
- ^Milton Mueller (2002),Ruling the Root: Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace,Cambridge, Massachusetts:MIT Press,p. 79,ISBN9780262632980
- ^Crepin-Leblond, Olivier M. J. (2003)."International E-mail Accessibility".Archived fromthe originalon 21 May 2008.Retrieved23 June2008.
- ^"DNS lookup for hermes.dra.hmg.gb".Retrieved7 March2016– via Google Apps Toolbox.
- ^"DNS lookup for delos.dra.hmg.gb".Retrieved7 March2016– via Google Apps Toolbox.
- ^"DNS lookup for dfhnet.dra.hmg.gb".Retrieved7 March2016– via Google Apps Toolbox.
- ^Gollman, Dieter, ed. (November 1994)."A Consideration of the Modes of Operation for Secure Systems".Computer Security – ESORICS 94.Brighton:Springer-Verlag.p. 335.ISBN978-3-540-58618-0.
- ^"DERA".DERA. Archived fromthe originalon 17 May 2001.Retrieved26 November2006.
- ^Eden, Terence(15 November 2022)."Is it time to retire the.gb top level domain?".Central Digital and Data Office Blog.UK Government.Retrieved15 November2022.
External links[edit]
- IANA.gb whois information
- JANET(UK) websiteArchived21 February 2009 at theWayback Machine
- Last accessible copy of dra.hmg.gb in the Internet Archive
- Official country code for Britain = GB or UK?Email discussion on GB domain (2002) with historical zonefiles.
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