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    • .ne

    Country-code top-level domains

    Overview

    • .ne is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Niger.
    • Introduced and implemented on 24 April 1996.
    • Managed by Niger Telecoms (formerly SONITEL).
    • Registrations are made directly at the second level. The label "ne" is also used as a second-level namespace within other ccTLDs (examples cited include .ne.jp for Japan and use in South Korea).

    History

    • Delegation/implementation date: 24 April 1996.
    • Registry / sponsor listed as SONITEL in older sources; more recent references name Niger Telecoms (formerly SONITEL) as registry and sponsor.
    • The official registration site previously listed (http://www.intnet.ne/) has been reported as a dead link (noted in Wikipedia in 2012 and ICANNWiki reported no registry website found as of October 2024).

    Usage and Audience

    • Primary use: entities connected with Niger.
    • Additional uses cited in sources:
      • Typosquatting, due to accidental misspellings of .net domains.
      • Domain hacks leveraging the ".ne" string.
      • Use as a second-level label within other country-code domains (e.g., .ne.jp).
    • .ne domain names can be registered through certain accredited registrars; TLD-List indicates registrations are available to the public.

    Registration Rules

    • Structure: registrations are made directly at the second level (example: example.ne).
    • Restrictions: sources do not list specific eligibility restrictions; an external aggregator (TLD-List) indicates that anyone can buy a .ne domain and lists registrars where .ne can be registered.
    • Other technical/policy details (dispute policy, character rules, registration period limits) are not specified in the provided sources.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • Because .ne is used for typosquatting (confusion with .net) and for domain hacks, it can be associated with both creative branding and potential misuse.
    • Organizations should consider trust and brand implications when choosing a .ne domain, especially given typosquatting concerns.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • A Krebs on Security article (January 2025) referenced the .ne domain in the context of a Mastercard DNS error investigation.
    • Examples of ".ne" appearing as a second-level namespace in other ccTLDs include Japan (.ne.jp) and South Korea (as noted in source material).

    Operator

    SONITEL

    Whois

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

domain:       NE

organisation: SONITEL
address:      Rue de l'Uranium
address:      Niamey 208
address:      Niger (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         Kimba YAYE
organisation: SONITEL
address:      Avenue du Général De Gaulle
address:      Niamey 208
address:      Niger (the)
phone:        +227 20 72 27 75
fax-no:       +227 20 73 58 12
e-mail:       kimba.yaye@sonitel.ne

contact:      technical
name:         Sadou SOLOKE
organisation: SONITEL
address:      64 Rue du Stade
address:      Niamey 208
address:      Niger (the)
phone:        +227 20 72 21 80
fax-no:       +227 20 72 58 12
e-mail:       sadou.soloke@sonitel.ne

nserver:      BOW.RAIN.FR 194.51.3.49
nserver:      NE.CCTLD.AUTHDNS.RIPE.NET 193.0.9.101 2001:67c:e0:0:0:0:0:101
nserver:      NS-NE.AFRINIC.NET 196.216.168.45 2001:43f8:120:0:0:0:0:45
nserver:      NS.INTNET.NE 41.138.54.10

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.intnet.ne

created:      1996-04-24
changed:      2023-11-09
source:       IANA

    Registrars