Nominet, the registry for .UK domain names has today announced that they will be introducing first level .UK domain registrations commencing Summer 2014.
Offering a greater choice for existing registrants, combined with the benefit of a shorter .UK suffix, this exciting news ensures that registrants will soon have the opportunity to purchase domain names ending in just .UK - for example, yourbusinessname.uk.
This announcement will see the UK step in-line with other countries around the world that already operate registrations at this level, such as Germany with the .DE domain extension.
The launch of the first level .UK registration will also include a Grandfathering phase for existing .co.uk registrants. This means that if you are the current owner of a .CO.UK domain name, you will have the right of first refusal over the same domain name in the .UK suffix.
Pricing of .UK domains is set to be in line with current .CO.UK pricing and registration periods will be kept the same at 1 - 10 years.
Additional advanced checks on data supplied will also be introduced, encouraging further consumer trust in the registration process and UK namespace.
Domainbox will be offering these .UK domains as soon as Nominet commences their launch next year, allowing our resellers the ability to offer their customers the most up to date selection of country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs).
With new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) such as .nyc also set to launch in the near future, this is a welcome announcement for both businesses and consumers looking to further align themselves and their businesses with the UK namespace.