Launch of an information portal for the .swiss internet domain

Biel/Bienne, 02.12.2014 - The new www.dotswiss.ch web portal provides details about the .swiss domain, answers important questions about applications and deadlines and keeps interested parties abreast of the latest news with a free newsletter. The website was created by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) who, from autumn 2015, will be assigning the domain name to any business or organisation that has a clear connection with Switzerland. The launch of this information portal follows the signing of a contract with the American organisation ICANN, the body responsible for administering internet domain names, which assigned the .swiss domain to the Swiss Confederation.

Relevant news and all important facts and background information are now conveniently available on a single portal: The new www.dotswiss.ch webpage offers interested parties a wealth of information about the new .swiss domain name. This includes deadlines and advice regarding requirements for domain name registration and the application procedure. A newsletter which keeps interested parties constantly informed of the next steps to take – for instance the start of the application procedure – is available and people can sign up for it on the webpage.  

From autumn 2015, businesses and organisations with a clear connection with Switzerland can submit their applications to registrars who will be listed on the dotswiss.ch website. The competent Federal Office of Communications will then vet the content of applications. The first .swiss web addresses are scheduled to be assigned to interested organisations in 2015.  

Contract between the Swiss Confederation and ICANN for .swiss

The launch of the information portal is another step in the process of making the .swiss domain available to Swiss businesses and organisations. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – the international body for administering internet addresses – and the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) signed the corresponding contract this autumn; it will make the .swiss domain available to Switzerland and enable the Swiss Confederation to assign a domestic domain name.   

Through its commitment to the .swiss domain, the Swiss Confederation aims to safeguard Switzerland's interests and ensure that this new domain extension is available to businesses, cultural and national organisations. The .swiss domain extension has the advantage of being more recognisable than .ch which is often confused with other countries such as China. Also, a .ch domain name can be registered by anyone without having to provide proof of any connection with Switzerland. .ch will continue to be available in this form.

Since liberalisation of the internet domain name system in 2012, new extensions for internet addresses have gradually been made available. In addition to the 22 existing generic domain extensions such as ".com", ".org" or ".info" can now be added thematic (e.g. .hotel, .bank), geographic (e.g. .berlin, .florida) or brand extensions. This innovation is based on ICANN's decision which is intended to encourage competition and diversity in the domain name system.  


Address for enquiries

Federal Office of Communications OFCOM
Press service, +41 58 460 55 50, media@bakom.admin.ch



Publisher

Federal Office of Communications
http://www.ofcom.admin.ch

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