Nominet looks to offer British firms ‘.uk’ web addresses
Nominet, the organisation which oversees British web addresses, has revealed it is currently in discussions over the offering of ‘.uk’ web addresses to British firms, instead of ‘.co.uk’, as it seeks to provide greater protection against fraud and the spread of computer viruses.
As part of the proposal, ‘.uk’ websites would be regularly scanned for viruses and would comply with DNSSECC, the technology which helps ensure browsers connect to websites securely. No such protection is offered on sites registered under ‘.co.uk’.
The’.uk’ addresses could cost as much as £20 per year, as opposed to the standard £5 every two years for ‘.co.uk’ and to be allowed to register under the domain firms must prove they are based in Britain, as currently it is relatively simple to register a ‘.co.uk’ address from abroad with false or anonymous contact details.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Eleanor Bradley, director of operation Nominet, commented: “This is about offering greater choice. If you’re currently using a ‘.co.uk’ domain name then there would be no requirement to change."
A final decision will be made on January 7.