Generic top-level domainsDNSSEC
Overview
- .sydney is a geographic top-level domain (GeoTLD) introduced through ICANN's New gTLD Program.
- It is intended as a geo-distinctive online space for entities connected to Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
- The registry technical operator named for the string is ARI Registry Services; the NSW government also engaged Melbourne IT for other consultancy work.
History
- Proposed under ICANN's new gTLD program as a city-specific GeoTLD for Sydney.
- ARI Registry Services was selected by the New South Wales government to provide technical registry functions; ARI prevailed over a joint venture between CoCCA, Sedari, and Cloud Registry that had also applied for .sydney and .melbourne.
- A Registry Agreement signed by ICANN was received by the State of New South Wales on 18 September 2014 after passing Initial Evaluation.
- .sydney was delegated into the DNS root zone on 5 November 2014, completing the successful application for the string.
Usage and Audience
- Target registrants include:
- Businesses registered and operating in NSW
- Visitor-economy service providers registered with the NSW Government
- Local government entities and community groups
- Residents with an NSW address
- The gTLD is positioned to serve tourism, local business promotion, government and community information, and marketing that highlights Sydney-specific identity.
- The applicant projected uptake of registrations (a forecast) of 36,122 domain names by the end of year three.
Registration Rules
- Eligibility and restrictions:
- Second-level registrations are restricted to eligible registrants with a connection to NSW as outlined above.
- Registrants must warrant their eligibility and provide a NSW address or business registration number when registering.
- Ineligible registrations are treated as abusive and fall within the registry's Anti-Abuse Policy.
- Launch phases and rights protection:
- The launch plan includes phased openings with two sunrise rounds, a landrush period (where competing applications may be resolved by auction), followed by general availability on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible registrants.
- Rights protection mechanisms required by ICANN, including use of the Trademark Clearinghouse, are part of the registration process.
- Use and enforcement:
- Registrants must use .sydney domain names in a manner consistent with the gTLD's mission and purpose and must not contravene relevant State and Commonwealth legislation.
- The registry reserves the right to suspend or cancel registrations that breach registration policy terms.
SEO and Brand Impact
- The .sydney gTLD is intended to provide a clearly labeled, relevant resource for information related to Sydney, improving discoverability for audiences seeking Sydney-specific content.
- It aims to enhance the Sydney brand by offering a geo-distinctive presence and targeted marketing opportunities for local businesses, community groups, and government bodies.
- The registry's eligibility criteria and anti-abuse measures are positioned to foster trustworthiness and relevance of .sydney domains for users seeking Sydney-related information.
Operator
State of New South Wales, Department of Premier and Cabinet
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server % for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org % This query returned 1 object domain: SYDNEY organisation: State of New South Wales, Department of Premier and Cabinet address: 1 Farrer Place address: Sydney NSW 2000 address: Australia contact: administrative name: IANA Contact organisation: GoDaddy Registry address: 100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600 address: Tempe AZ 85281 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1 480-505-8800 fax-no: +1 480-624-2546 e-mail: iana@registry.godaddy contact: technical name: IANA Contact organisation: GoDaddy Registry address: 100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600 address: Tempe AZ 85281 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1 480-505-8800 fax-no: +1 480-624-2546 e-mail: iana@registry.godaddy nserver: A.NIC.SYDNEY 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.192.10 nserver: B.NIC.SYDNEY 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.194.10 nserver: C.NIC.SYDNEY 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.196.10 nserver: X.NIC.SYDNEY 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82 nserver: Y.NIC.SYDNEY 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82 nserver: Z.NIC.SYDNEY 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82 ds-rdata: 56155 8 2 6f8bec880cb37266b04e5b34a8a61238404ddca2ac3efcfd47bf641e650d3d78 whois: whois.nic.sydney status: ACTIVE remarks: Registration information: http://iconic.sydney created: 2014-10-30 changed: 2024-04-17 source: IANA