Sponsored top-level domain explained

A sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) is one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet, alongside[1] country-code top-level domains (ccTLD) and generic top-level domains (gTLD).

A sponsored TLD is a specialized top-level domain that has a sponsor representing a specific community served by the domain. The communities involved are based on ethnic, geographical, professional, technical or other theme concepts proposed by private agencies or organizations that establish and enforce rules restricting the eligibility of registrants to use the TLD.

Generally speaking, a sponsored TLD is a specialized TLD that has a sponsor representing the narrower community that is most affected by the TLD, while an unsponsored TLD operates under policies established by the global Internet community directly through the ICANN process.[2] For example, the .aero TLD is sponsored by SITA, which limits registrations to members of the air transport industry.

TLDEligibilitySponsors
.aeroMembers of the air-transport industrySITA
.asiaCompanies, organisations and individuals in the Asia-Pacific regionDotAsia Organisation
.bankReserved for those in the banking sector; domain names must correspond to the organization’s legal name or brandingBank Policy Institute
American Bankers Association
.catCatalan linguistic and cultural communityFundació puntCat
.coopCooperative associationsDotCooperation LLC
.eduUS Institutions of higher educationEducause
.govUnited States government, states and local governmentsCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (an independent agency of the US government)
.intInternational treaty-based organisationsInternet Assigned Numbers Authority
.jobsHuman resource managers

IANA states that the sponsoring organization is Employ Media LLC[3] (private company), but also presents a delegation report that states Employ Media LLC is a registry, and the sponsoring organization is The Society for Human Resource Management[4] (nonprofit organization)

.milUS Military entitiesDefense Information Systems Agency (US government)
.museumMuseumsMuseum Domain Management Association
.postPostal servicesUniversal Postal Union
.telFor businesses and individuals to publish contact dataSince 2008: Telnic Limited[5]

Telnames Limited[6] (private company)

.travelTravel agents, airlines, hoteliers, tourism bureaus, etc.Since 2005: Registry is Tralliance Corporation,[7] who was in some arrangement with The Travel Partnership Corporation, but no mention in contracts of who is the "sponsor".
Since 2015: Registry is Tralliance Registry Management Company, LLC[8]
Since 2018: Registry is Dog Beach, LLC[9]

Registry is Donuts Inc.[10] (private company)

.xxxPornographic sitesICM Registry
ICANN only applied the term sponsored TLD to TLDs in the first two rounds of new gTLDs. It did not use the distinction between sponsored and unsponsored for new gTLDs in the 2012 round.[11]

Types

See main article: article.

As of 2015, IANA distinguishes the following groups of top-level domains:[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Root Zone Database . Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
  2. Web site: Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). ICANN Archives.
  3. Web site: Delegation Record for .JOBS. 2005-09-08. 2021-02-13.
  4. Web site: IANA Report on the Delegation of the .JOBS Top-Level Domain. 2005-08-31. 2021-02-13.
  5. Web site: Delegation Record for .TEL. 2007-03-02. IANA. https://web.archive.org/web/20081121162855/http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/tel.html. 2008-11-21. dead.
  6. Web site: .tel Registry Agreement. 2016-12-01. 2021-02-13. ICANN. Effective 28 February 2017, the Registry Agreement was assigned by Telnic Limited to Telnames Limited.
  7. Web site: .travel Registry Agreement. 2005-05-05. 2021-02-13.
  8. Web site: .travel Registry Agreement. Registry Agreement. 2015-10-09. 2021-02-13.
  9. Web site: .travel Registry Agreement. Assignment and Assumption Agreement. 2018-02-12. 2021-02-13.
  10. Web site: .travel Registry Agreement. Amendment No.3. 2020-06-01. 2021-02-13.
  11. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions on new gTLDs . ICANN.org.
  12. Web site: IANA root zone database . Iana.org . 2015-11-10.