.zm

Country-code top-level domainsDNSSEC

Overview

.zm is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Zambia. It is intended for entities connected with Zambia and is used by organizations, businesses, government bodies, educational institutions and other local entities.

History

Introduced: 25 March 1994.
Initially delegated to ZAMNET Communication Systems Ltd.
In August 2009 the Communications Authority was renamed the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), which gained responsibility for administering the .zm namespace under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2009.
2013: Meetings between ZAMNET, ZICTA and local stakeholders began the transition of registry operations; a redelegation request to ICANN was commenced on 9 July 2013 and subsequently granted.

Usage and Audience

Intended audience: Entities connected with Zambia.
Typical users: businesses, non-profits, academic institutions, government bodies, schools, networks, military and information sites in Zambia.
Common practice: Most entities choosing the ccTLD register under .co.zm or .org.zm, though many Zambian sites also use generic TLDs such as .com.

Registration Rules

Eligibility/restrictions:
- Registrants must have a presence in Zambia; registrants are typically legal entities with a presence in Zambia.
Structure:
- Registrations are made at the third level beneath established second-level domains (SLDs).
- Registered Internet service providers (ISPs) may register at the second level; however there are documented and undocumented exceptions to this rule (examples below).
Second-level domains commonly used (observed practice):
- .ac.zm — academic institutions
- .biz.zm — businesses
- .co.zm — commercial entities
- .com.zm — commercial entities
- .edu.zm — academic institutions
- .gov.zm — government
- .info.zm — information sites
- .mil.zm — military
- .net.zm — networks
- .org.zm — non-commercial organizations
- .sch.zm — schools
Registrars:
- Only registered ISPs may be accredited as registrars; ISPs are required to be registered with ZICTA and ZICTA lists licensed ISPs on its website.

SEO and Brand Impact

Adoption and perception:
- The .zm ccTLD "gets some use in Zambia," but .com is more widely used among Zambian sites. This mixed adoption can influence local brand visibility and user expectations, as many entities opt for generic TLDs.

Notable Cases or Examples

Examples of second-level or second-level-exempt registrations:
- zamtel.zm — example of an ISP registering at the second level.
- boz.zm — Bank of Zambia operates under boz.zm (an undocumented exception to third-level rule).
- zicta.zm — the registry/regulator operates under zicta.zm.
Registrars/registrar services referenced: PreworX (PreworX (Z) Ltd.) lists and offers registration under the common SLDs.

Operator

Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)

Whois

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

domain:       ZM

organisation: Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
address:      Stand 4909, Corner of Independence and United Nations Avenue
address:      Lusaka Lusaka 10101
address:      Zambia

contact:      administrative
name:         Manager - Standards and Networks
organisation: Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
address:      Stand 4909, Corner of Independence and United Nations Avenue
address:      Lusaka Lusaka 10101
address:      Zambia
phone:        +260 211 378200
e-mail:       zmadmin@zicta.zm

contact:      technical
name:         Manager - Standards and Networks
organisation: Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
address:      Stand 4909, Corner of Independence and United Nations Avenue
address:      Lusaka Lusaka 10101
address:      Zambia
phone:        +260 211 378200
e-mail:       zmtech@zicta.zm

nserver:      GRANSY.NIC.ZM 185.28.194.194 185.38.108.108
nserver:      NS-ZM.AFRINIC.NET 196.216.168.44 2001:43f8:120:0:0:0:0:44
nserver:      PCH.NIC.ZM 2001:500:14:6073:ad:0:0:1 204.61.216.73
ds-rdata:     35075 8 2 eb06f34b2b9f1729366bda17411cd4cc2193644368905dfb0cfb1868bd590581

whois:        whois.zicta.zm

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://registry.zicta.zm

created:      1994-03-25
changed:      2024-04-24
source:       IANA

Registrars

Gandi