Nominet sets June 2014 for .uk Launch

UK internet registry company Nominet has announced that .uk domain names will be available from June 10 2014. The .uk domain Top Level Domain (TLD) will be offered in addition to similar domain TLDs such as .co.uk and .org.uk.

At present, .co.uk is aimed at British businesses, while .org.uk is predominantly for non-commercial organisations whose work focuses on a cause and .me.uk is aimed at individuals.

The introduction of the standalone .uk TLD increases the options available to people looking for a .uk domain of one sort or other.

Shorter offering

Following the launch of the new TLD, over 10 million existing .uk domain holders will be offered the shorter equivalent of their current address. Domain holders will be given five years to decide whether they want to use it in addition to, or instead of the domain they already have.

Nominet has also updated its WHOIS .uk register database lookup tool so that users can check whether anyone holds the right of registration to a specific .uk address.

Nominet is a public purpose Internet company that runs all .uk TLDs. Its work includes protecting, promoting and supporting the online presence of .uk domains. The organisations works with national and international organisations to make the Internet more secure.

Below is the announcement:

From 10 June 2014, shorter, simpler .uk domain names will be available for the first time.

There’s no need to worry though, all existing domains including .co.uk, .org.uk and .me.uk will continue to run as normal. There will just be another option to choose from.

Whether you are a great British business, an awesome organisation or an online original then .uk remains a great place to be:

• .co.uk – The number one domain for British business; the most trusted and relevant domain for doing business in the UK
• .org.uk – The preferred non-commercial domain for championing causes and raising support
• .me.uk – The personal domain for individuals wanting to build a unique, online presence

Further information

Read more about the introduction of the new shorter .uk domain names.