The top-level domain (TLD) “.ICU” is a generic, open registration domain extension that stands for “I See You.” It is managed by ShortDot SA, a domain registry company based in Luxembourg.
The .ICU domain, despite its similar sounding echo to “Intensive Care Unit”, is not specifically intended for use by the healthcare sector unlike extensions such as “.health” or “.doctor”. Instead, it’s marketed as a flexible, memorable, all-purpose TLD. It drives home the concept of visibility and accessibility, implying that your website is always available, like a 24/7 online presence. Its slogan is “Now I See You,” indicating its vision to enable organizations and individuals to openly express themselves and reach their audience effectively.
In terms of the technical specifications, .ICU domains operate like any other TLDs. As is typical with domain names, .ICU domain names can be up to 63 characters, have a minimum of 3 characters and contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and hyphens (except at the beginning or end).
The .ICU launch took place on May 29, 2018, and since then, it has been adopted by users from all over the globe. Worldwide, many businesses, professionals, and private users are using a .ICU domain to share their message and reach a global audience. Domains such as .ICU serve as necessary tools in the vast space of the digital universe, helping users establish their unique internet identities.
ShortDot SA has entered into an agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is the body responsible for the global coordination of the Domain Name System (DNS), thus making ShortDot SA a reliable company. Therefore, .ICU is a recognized and reliable top-level domain.
Domain Name Stat shows that the total registered domains for .ICU were 588,322 in the year 2020. And according to nTLD stats, the .ICU extension ranks 9th in the world in terms of registration count among all TLDs, accounting for approximately 0.2% of all domain names worldwide as of January 2022.
Sources:
1. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN.org.
2. Jeff Neuman, Senior Vice President at Valideus. (2021). Domain Name Handbook: High Stakes and Strategies in Cyberspace.
3. Domain Name Stat – domainnamestat.com
4. nTLD stats – ntldstats.com
5. www101domain – https://www.101domain.com/icu.htm
6. ShortDot – https://nic.icu/
7. TechTerms – https://techterms.com/definition/top-level-domain
