The top-level domain (TLD) .GW is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Guinea-Bissau. Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are generally reserved for a country, sovereign state, or a territory which is identified with a country code. They are two letters long and all are based on ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes. According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which oversees global IP address allocation, autonomous system number allocation, root zone management in the Domain Name System (DNS), media types, and other Internet identifiers, the .GW domain is delegated to the Instituto Nacional das Comunicações da Guiné-Bissau (INACE).
The technical details with regard to the management and servicing of the .GW TLD are governed by the policies of the INACE, as well as, the overarching policies of IANA and ICANN. In terms of DNS servers, INACE provides primary DNS while secondary DNS services are managed via partnership with the global DNS network of AFRINIC, which is one of the world’s five regional Internet registries (RIRs).
Moreover, the DNS for the .GW TLD is coordinated by UGB (Universidade de Guinea-Bissau), Bissau, Guinea Bissau. This coordination means that UGB is responsible for maintaining the IP address assignments within the .GW block of ccTLDs and for updating the .GW ccTLD DNS records correspondingly.
To acquire a .GW domain, registrants must go through approved registrars. The register process is very similar to that of other domain names. Once a user finds the domain name they want to use, they must go through a registration process, including payment, to acquire that domain. It is then theirs to use for a set period of time, typically one year, but it can be longer depending on the registrar’s guidelines.
It’s important to note that the specific domain policies for the .GW ccTLD– including such matters as domain disputes, domain name syntax rules, and so forth – are set by the INACE, while IANA and ICANN provide general oversight and ensure conformity with the global domain name system.
Sources:
1. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. (n.d.). .GW Delegation Record. Retrieved from https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/gw.html
2. AFRINIC Services. (n.d.). The AFRINIC DNS Project. Retrieved from https://www.afrinic.net/service/dns
3. Instituto Nacional das Comunicações da Guiné-Bissau (INACE). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://inace.gov.gw/
4. Wikipedia. (n.d.). .gw. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.gw
5. Wikipedia. (n.d.). Country code top-level domain. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level\_domain
