.akdn

Overview

• .akdn is a brand gTLD representing the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
• It was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program and is intended to link AKDN institutions and signal the origin and integrity of AKDN information.

History

• The string .akdn was revealed during ICANN's application process (Reveal Day: 13 June 2012).
• It was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 16 April 2016.
• The TLD is categorized as a brand gTLD. The registry entry lists Afilias, and the applicant / registry operator is the Aga Khan Foundation (Fondation Aga Khan).

Usage and Audience

• Intended users are institutions, programmes and representatives within the Aga Khan Development Network.
• AKDN encompasses over 1,000 institutions across education, health, culture, rural development, economic development, microfinance and crisis response in more than 25 countries.
• The TLD is designed to:
  • Link AKDN entities under a consistent namespace.
  • Provide assurance of authenticity and provenance to donors, governments, international organisations, civil society and the public.
  • Support AKDN initiatives such as distance learning, telemedicine and other network-enabled programmes.
• The applicant expected to manage between 100–200 domains under management (DUMs) within three years of operation.

Registration Rules

• The Aga Khan Foundation intends to operate .akdn as a single-registrant / single-user registry.
• Domain names under .akdn are reserved for exclusive registration by the Aga Khan Foundation and its approved representatives and related organisations.
• The Foundation does not intend to sell, distribute or transfer second-level domains to parties outside its representatives and related organisations.
• The registry indicated it will comply with applicable ICANN consensus and temporary policies while maintaining internal policies to limit registrations to AKDN-approved entities.

SEO and Brand Impact

• .akdn is explicitly positioned as a trust and reputation signal: domains under the TLD are intended to convey AKDN characteristics such as quality, local consultation, human dignity and self-reliance.
• By centralising AKDN digital presence, the TLD aims to reduce confusion, reinforce a century-long reputation, and improve recognition among stakeholders including donors and international organisations.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       AKDN

organisation: Fondation Aga Khan (Aga Khan Foundation)
address:      1 - 3 avenue de la Paix
address:      Geneva CH-1202
address:      Switzerland

contact:      administrative
name:         Director of Finance
organisation: Fondation Aga Khan (Aga Khan Foundation)
address:      1 - 3 avenue de la Paix
address:      Geneva CH-1202
address:      Switzerland
phone:        +41 22 909 7200
fax-no:       +41 22 909 7292
e-mail:       akftld.akdn@akdn.org

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Afilias
address:      300 Welsh Road
address:      Building 3, Suite 105
address:      Horsham PA 19044
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 215.706.5700
fax-no:       +1 215.706.5701
e-mail:       tld-tech-poc@afilias.info

nserver:      A0.NIC.AKDN 2a01:8840:2a:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.44.17
nserver:      A2.NIC.AKDN 2a01:8840:2d:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.47.17
nserver:      B0.NIC.AKDN 2a01:8840:2b:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.45.17
nserver:      C0.NIC.AKDN 2a01:8840:2c:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.46.17
ds-rdata:     25057 8 2 47e24ce61e8604c9a8fc169d5e073b280f24fa9132dcbb64e727003a8bf27157

whois:        whois.nic.akdn

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.akdn.org/

created:      2016-03-31
changed:      2023-08-25
source:       IANA