General FAQs
Who is behind .CO Internet S.A.S?
.CO Internet S.A.S. is a company formed by Arcelandia S.A., a wholly-owned Colombian company, and the U.S. company Neustar, Inc, for the purpose of developing and operating the .CO Internet registry. This new partnership will be responsible for the promotion, administration, and technical operation of the .CO TLD.
What is Neustar, Inc?
Neustar, Inc. operates the technical infrastructure of the .CO domain. The company has been offering full technical, operational and policy expertise for numerous domains since 2001 and offers support to such domains as .biz, .us, .travel and .TEL. Neustar also operates worldwide registry gateways for other top ccTLDs; offers Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in 15 languages; and provides comprehensive managed DNS and full-scale registry services with 24/7 customer support on five continents.
What is .CO?
CO is the new domain extension that offers a truly global, recognizable and credible domain name for individuals and organizations to build their businesses and brands. It’s the online space where possibility meets opportunity; where people can fulfill their dreams and the world’s next great enterprises will have a home.
What are the key .CO registry policies?
.CO enjoys liberal registration policies following international best practices:
- Anyone in the world is able to register domains
- No domicile or burdensome documentation
- Minimum registration of 1 year & a maximum of 5 years
- Registrants can easily transfer domain names to others
What makes .CO such a unique opportunity?
We believe .CO is a unique opportunity for businesses and individuals as there is a need for more options in branding yourself online with short and memorable domain names. .CO is the truly global, recognizable and credible web address that gives you exciting new options in branding your online presence. It's the online space where possibility meets opportunity; where people can fulfill their dreams and the world's next great enterprises will make their home. Create your opportunity with .CO!
What steps are being taken to protect the rights of trademark owners?
.CO is followed established best practices in trademark and IP protection to ensure that the domain was launched in an equitable and sustainable way. From our technology partner Neustar to our validation partner Deloitte who managed the Trademark Sunrise process, .CO was launched in a responsible and secure manner, making it an asset to trademark holders and a tremendous opportunity for companies, entrepreneurs and individuals globally.
Is the .CO registry using / implementing a "wildcard"?
As part of our bid to the Ministry of Communications (MINTIC), .CO Internet S.A.S. proposed not to implement a wildcard in the .CO space.
A “wildcard” consists of redirecting unresolved traffic (non-existent domains) to a landing page that is controlled by the registry, ISP, or DNS operator. This practice, although common amongst the major ISPs and some DNS operators, has been thought to create technical glitches in the DNS. Most importantly, in our view, the use of a wildcard by the operator of a registry has a negative impact on the credibility of the registry, and, in the case of a ccTLD, a negative impact on the perception of the Country itself.
In observance of international best practices and ICANN recommendations, our proposal to MINTIC specifically outlined our company’s intent not to implement a wildcard system as part of the registry’s operations.
Isn’t .CO the ccTLD for the country of Colombia?
The Colombian government, in consultation for the local Internet community, has made .CO domains available globally in a responsible and secure manner. .CO will never cease to be Colombia’s ccTLD, but it is marketed to a global user base. .CO is a relevant, credible, and global domain name extension.
How are .CO domains treated by the Search Engines?
As a general rule, the .CO domain will have all the same geo-targeting options, and will be treated on par with other key top level domains, such as .com, .net, .biz and .org. This means that websites built on .CO domains can be targeted to meet your business and communications needs anywhere in the world — and will be indexed favorably by the major search engines. On this topic specifically, Google announced in July of 2010 that .CO domains would have all the same geo-targeting options as other generic domain names within Google Webmaster Tools. It’s important to note that every search engine has its own set of algorithms that govern search results; and that these indexing standards may change regularly. This said, you should check with your individual provider for specific instructions and features.
Why should you have confidence in .CO Internet?
As the Administrator of the .CO top-level domain, we both recognize and embrace our responsibility to serve as a trustee for the .CO name space – a unique digital resource with broad, global appeal. We are committed to managing both the .CO registry, and the domain name system that underpins it, as a steward of both the local and the global Internet communities.
The .CO registry has been built on a long and proven track record of technological excellence, operational performance, product innovation and world-class customer service. Through our technology partner, Neustar, our registry platform has been in operation since 2001 – seamlessly powering the resolution of over 4 million domain names around the world.
Beyond technology, we have and will continue to implement best practice policies and procedures to protect the IP rights of registrants; and are putting cutting edge security measures in place to ensure that the .CO extension is the premier platform of choice for secure Internet commerce and 21st century innovation.
We have retained world-leading marketing, PR and communications strategists to help promote the .CO brand worldwide. Through targeted marketing initiatives, .CO Internet is committed to working closely with Resellers to help you generate awareness, educate consumers, and convert more prospects to sales in your target markets.
What is .CO Internet's relationship with ICANN?
As a ccTLD, the .CO Registry is not bound by ICANN policies, nor does it currently have in place any accountability frameworks or exchange of letters defining any specific accountabilities. This said, we have great respect for the ICANN global consensus process and have implemented many ICANN- supported best practices on policy and procedural matters in developing the .CO registry.
We have become a member of ICANN’s ccNSO, which is an independent process that entails developing policies that are binding for ccNSO members within the limits of national law. We will continue to reference and consider ICANN supported policies and watch with interest the evolution of policies and practices on topics like the URS, DNSSEC, etc. as we define and refine our registry policies.
The .CO registry is deeply committed to ensuring the safety, security and integrity of the .CO name space and will continue to monitor and implement best practices promoted by ICANN and other industry leaders as we move forward.
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Learn about our .COmmunity and how others are using .CO to build a next-level Internet.go.co
View our local website that features news, blog posts, events and information about .COM.CO cointernet.com.co
Find your ideal .COM.CO domain and serve the people of Colombia with a reliable and secure web address. dominios.com.co
