Namecheap becomes biggest registrar to offer .Is domains.
Country code domain names are an interesting animal. Some registries make it very difficult to register them; others market them heavily through the registrar channel.
One domain that has traditionally been difficult or expensive to register is Iceland’s .IS domain.
There are a few registrars, typically brand protection registrars, that carry them. Prices are usually $80 or more. Or you can create an account directly with the registry to register one.
But now Namecheap, a top five registrar, is offering .Is domains for about $40 per year. That’s about the same price as going direct.
DomainTools estimates that there are 64,000 registered .Is domains. But with no premiums, there are quite a few good keywords available.
It will be interesting to watch .Is and see if easier registration and a big registrar help build the zone. Taken as the word ‘is’, it’s kind of cool. Of course, there’s also that terrorist group…
H says
Why difficult? One could directly register .is with ISNIC, their price is 29,99EUR and they accept both cards & PayPal.
Richard says
Island.is is a great example how to run a transparent government service for your citizens in the digital age.
John says
World’s best political .is:
ItDependsOnWhatTheMeaningOfTheWordIs.is
😀