Nominet,the company behind .UK internet infrastructure,launched its revised proposall for .UK domain registrations at the second level (example.uk) .

You can read the press release after the jump :

“Nominet, the not-for-profit organisation best known for running the .uk internet infrastructure, today launches its revised proposal for .uk domain name registrations at the second level (example.uk). This forms part of a broader programme of work announced last month.

The company believes that a new second level domains policy is necessary to keep the namespace competitive alongside the introduction of over 1,000 new top level domains from 2014.  Combining a shorter suffix with the trust of the ‘.uk’ brand would offer a wider choice for existing .uk registrants and the millions of consumers and businesses who do not yet have their own online space.

Following a public consultation last year, Nominet put its initial plans for second level .uk domain registrations on hold, whilst feedback and suggestions were considered in depth. Nominet has responded by making significant changes to the original direct.uk proposal. The key elements of the new proposal and consultation are:

Enhanced checks on data supplied for all registrations. The process would ensure that the named individual resides, or the named business trades, at the specified address.  This aims to enhance consumer trust in the registration process and the data on record.   Information on any registrations to businesses would be displayed in the ‘WHOIS’ – the database of registrants for all domains.

For registrants not based in the UK, a UK ‘address for service’ would be required. This would also be displayed in the WHOIS.

A ‘right of first refusal’ would give registrants of existing .uk domain names at the third level (e.g. .co.uk, .me.uk, .org.uk etc) the opportunity to secure the corresponding registration at the second level. In the event of two competing claims, the oldest current, continuous registration(1) would be given priority. The proposal is to run the right of first refusal for a 6 month period from launch.

Domains not covered by a right of first refusal would be available to register from launch on a first-come, first-served, basis.

A competitive price point, with a proposed wholesale fee of £5.50 for one year or £4.50 per year for multi-year registrations.

Many bodies currently using .gov.uk domains will no longer be able to do so under the Government Digital Transformation Programme, which will consolidate the domains under gov.uk.  We propose to reserve the affected domains (using 1 July 2013 as the cut-off date for registrations).

A commitment to offer services to improve security across the whole .uk namespace.

The proposed service would sit alongside the existing portfolio of third level of domains administered by Nominet.  The high levels of awareness, recognition and trust associated with the current .uk namespace will continue to be attractive for millions of registrants, and Nominet is committed to offering, supporting and investing in all existing third levels, including .co.uk, .me.uk and .org.uk.

Nominet expects that some registrants would want to hold corresponding domains in both the third and second levels, or over time, move from one to the other.  The consultation asks for feedback on options such as discounting or reserving names, which could help ensure that this is practical and affordable.

Lesley Cowley, Chief Executive Officer at Nominet, said: “We listened to the extensive feedback on the initial consultation and the revised proposal is significantly different as a result.  We believe this is the right step to safeguard the long-term relevance of the .uk namespace in the face of unprecedented competition.  By attracting more consumers and businesses to a trusted and reliable online home, we can continue to make a strong contribution to the thriving UK digital economy.  But we are determined to harness the views of stakeholders so that, if we proceed, we do so in a way that is fair and practical.”

Simon McCalla, Nominet’s Chief Technology Officer said: “In response to the strength of feeling from our first consultation, we are tackling security differently.  Moving forward, our approach has changed in two ways.  Firstly, we have de-coupled security features from the second level domain proposals and will tackle this as part of a broader security roadmap that benefits the whole namespace.  Secondly we will be working with registrars to develop and introduce new security features rather than mandating change.”

The consultation will run until 23 September 2013 and responses will be published in November after the Nominet board has had the opportunity to review all the feedback.

If a decision to go ahead is taken, Nominet would notify existing registrants by email, and would run an awareness campaign to ensure that existing registrants have every opportunity to exercise their right of first refusal. Nominet would also offer existing .co.uk, .me.uk and .gov.uk registrants the opportunity to validate and verify their data for a nominal fee. However, this would not be mandatory.

For details of the consultation, please visit www.nominet.org.uk/SLDconsultation “