AUDA calls for new .au domain names

The Australian Domain Name Administrator (AUDA) has announced plans to reactivate the second-level domain names (2LDs) conf.au and info.au.

The AUDA has called for public submissions regarding the use of the dormant 2LDs as part of a wider plan. It is also inviting people to submit proposals for the creation of a potentially unlimited number of new 2LDs in the .au domain space.

AUDA public affairs officer Paul Szyndler said there is currently only a limited number of .au 2LDs.

“Throughout our existence over the last 10 years, we’ve only once called for 2LDs and that resulted in vic.au and sa.au, the state and territory ones being established,” Szyndler said.

“This is a call for proposals, we don’t have any expectations of the process, we don’t have any pre-determined outcomes, and we just want to see whether demand exists in the marketplace that calls for other 2LDs.”

Linux Australia has been the only organisation to use the conf.au domain for its annual Linux Conference – linux.conf.au. Both conf.au and info.au pre-date the AUDA’s existence, but interest in their use is low.

Szyndler said if the AUDA chooses to kill those domains, there may be some impact on the Linux conference, and the association has called for proposals because it would like to see whether they can be invigorated.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand have 2LDs such as maouri.nz registered, and some countries do not have any second level domains at all, but as Szyndler explained, the AUDA are calling for proposals to see if there is any demand in the marketplace. But there is no guarantee that any will be accepted.

“If the proposals don’t meet our selection criteria or the panel don’t asses them to meet all the documentation that’s been published on our website, then there won’t be any new 2LDs because there’s no commercial interest on our part to have to introduce more,” Szyndler said.

In the United States, ICANN currently charges US$180,000 for a top-level domain name.

For advice on making a proposal, Szyndler suggested interested parties look at the AUDA Web site, where past rejections of the catholic.au and university.au domain names are documented.

Another proposal is out for nominations for the advisory panel to judge the suitability of the domain name proposals, which is volunteer-based.

Proposals for the new 2LDs and for the re-activation of conf.au and info.au are due in by November 30.

Email Computerworld or follow @computerworldau on Twitter.

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