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    • .bw

    Country-code top-level domainsDNSSEC

    Overview

    .bw is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Botswana. It is intended for entities connected with Botswana and is widely used within the country. Registrations are generally made at the third level beneath established second-level labels such as .co.bw and .org.bw.

    History

    • Introduced: 19 March 1993.
    • Administration:
      • Historically designated to the University of Botswana; Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) acted as the de-facto manager from 1996.
      • Stakeholder discussions took place (notably in 2006) about selecting a new manager.
      • 2009: Transfer approval from the Permanent Secretary to move management from BTC to the Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA).
      • 2011: Interim management agreement between BTA and BTC for a transitional period.
      • 2012: BTA commenced redelegation request to ICANN; registry operations were informally transitioned in December 2012.
      • 1 April 2013: BTA transformed into the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), which became the sponsoring and operating organization; redelegation was later accepted.
    • Current registry and sponsor: Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA). Website: https://nic.net.bw/

    Usage and Audience

    • Intended audience: Entities and individuals connected with Botswana.
    • Common uses and second-level structure:
      • .co.bw — commercial entities
      • .org.bw — non-profit organisations
      • .ac.bw — academic institutions
      • .net.bw — network service providers
      • .gov.bw — government and related entities
      • .shop.bw — e-commerce websites
      • .agric.bw — farmers and agricultural businesses
      • .me.bw — individuals and personal brands
    • Registrations are predominantly at third level under these second-level labels. Some legacy second-level registrations (example: btc.bw) exist, but second-level registrations have been stopped and affected registrants were given transitional arrangements.
    • Notable examples of high-traffic .bw domains include google.co.bw and btc.bw.

    Registration Rules

    • Eligibility and identity requirements:
      • Anyone may register a .bw domain provided they supply required documentation.
      • Citizens must provide a certified copy of a legally recognized Identification Card (Omang); non-citizens must provide a passport.
      • Organizations must provide evidence of legal existence (e.g., registration certificate from the Registrar of Companies of Botswana) and have a contact person authorized to bind the entity.
    • Name structure and policy:
      • Registrations are generally at the third level beneath the predefined second-level labels (see Usage and Audience).
      • Second-level registrations have been halted; existing second-level registrants were given a migration/grace period as per registry policy.

    Acceptable Use and Restrictions

    BOCRA's acceptable use policy and registration terms prohibit:

    • Material that infringes intellectual or industrial property rights (copyrights, trademarks, patents, designs).
    • Use of domain names that are identical or confusingly similar to personal or business names, or trademarks, in a way that deceives or trades on another's reputation.
    • Deceptive or misleading conduct, including phishing, impersonation, or passing off.
    • Distribution of malware or material that disrupts systems or seeks authentication credentials.
    • Publication or linking to obscene or indecent material prohibited under Botswana law (including child sexual abuse material).
    • Defamatory material, racial vilification, illegal threats, contempt of court or other unlawful content under Botswana law.
    • Distribution of export-controlled technical data or confidential personal information collected without consent.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • .bw is described as "very popular in Botswana," making it a common choice for local branding and government, commercial, academic, and nonprofit presence.
    • BOCRA operates a WHOIS service for .bw domains (https://whois.nic.net.bw/), supporting transparency and domain management.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • google.co.bw is cited as the most visited .bw domain.
    • btc.bw (Botswana Telecommunications Corporation) is an example of an existing second-level registration referenced in registry communications.

    Operator

    Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)

    Whois

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

domain:       BW

organisation: Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)
address:      Plot 206/207 Independence Avenue
address:      Private Bag 00495
address:      Gaborone
address:      Botswana

contact:      administrative
name:         Engineer - ccTLD
organisation: BOCRA - Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
address:      Plot 206/207 Independence Avenue
address:      Private Bag 00495
address:      Gaborone
address:      Botswana
phone:        +2673685428
e-mail:       mathuba@bocra.org.bw

contact:      technical
name:         Engineer - ccTLD
organisation: Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)
address:      Plot 206/207 Independence Avenue
address:      Private Bag 00495
address:      Gaborone
address:      Botswana
phone:        +267 368 5426
e-mail:       sepepe@bocra.org.bw

nserver:      DNS1.NIC.NET.BW 168.167.98.226
nserver:      MASTER.BTC.NET.BW 168.167.168.37
nserver:      NS-BW.AFRINIC.NET 196.216.168.72 2001:43f8:120:0:0:0:0:72
nserver:      PCH.NIC.NET.BW 2001:500:14:6070:ad:0:0:1 204.61.216.70
ds-rdata:     62453 13 2 1b7c41a7c6f3b9cd7419cb595c52f2600f3eb68dce41829ad3bc596ea2250281

whois:        whois.nic.net.bw

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://nic.net.bw

created:      1993-03-19
changed:      2024-05-24
source:       IANA

    Registrars