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Welsh generic top-level domains (gTLDs)—.wales and .cymru—will go live later today (September 30).
The sunrise period for registrations will open at 18.00 GMT this evening following an official launch at the Senedd, home to the National Assembly for Wales, in Cardiff.
Earlier this year, TBO reported that the four main political parties, including the Welsh Labour-run government, had agreed to adopt the new addresses.
Speaking ahead of the launch, the Assembly’s presiding officer, Rosemary Butler, said brand recognition was essential for organisations and businesses to successfully promote their work and interests.
“A .wales or .cymru brand will be an enormous help to Welsh organisations as they strive to make their voice heard around the world.
“This is an exciting and positive development for Wales. I am pleased that the National Assembly for Wales has taken a leading role in this initiative, by agreeing to be one of the ‘early adopters’ of the new domain names,” Butler said.
The opportunity to adopt the gTLD will be extended to all businesses in November and the wider public in March.
Baroness Rennie Fritchie, chair of domain name registry Nominet, the organisation behind .cymru and .wales, said: “We are proud to be part of the .cymru and .wales project, excited by the interest it’s generated, and look forward to seeing the Welsh community develop and grow online.”
gTLDs, Nominet, online branding, .wales, .cymru
