The top-level domain (TLD) .NC is country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to New Caledonia, a French special collectivity in the southwest Pacific Ocean. As stated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) which oversees global IP address allocation, DNS root zone management, and other Internet protocol assignments, the .NC ccTLD was delegated on February 10, 1993. It has been administered by Office des Postes et Telecommunications (OPT), the main public service company for postal and telecommunications services in New Caledonia since its delegation.
Like other ccTLDs, .NC is mainly used to illustrate an association with the country it represents, in this case, New Caledonia. As with other country-specific domains, it operates under policies crafted by New Caledonia but also guided by international standards. It gives New Caledonian businesses, organizations, and individuals a means to specifically target and showcase their presence to local and international online communities.
The .NC domain has specific rules for registering. According to the domain registrar Gandi, while some localized domains in .NC like “.asso.nc” for associations or “.nom.nc” for individuals are openly available, the “.nc” is strictly reserved to entities that have a trademark in New Caledonia. If a non-New Caledonian entity wants to register a .NC domain, they should have a local contact or they should be associated with a company or organization established in New Caledonia.
The use of a ccTLD provides a geographic identification that can aid in branding and marketing efforts, as it indicates a strong connection to a specific country. An example of the use of .NC TLD is the primary website for the New Caledonia government (www.gouv.nc). Another example is cci.nc, which serves as the website for the New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In summary, the .NC top-level domain is crucial for businesses, organizations, and individuals who want to demonstrate their connection to New Caledonia. Thanks to the ccTLD, they can distinguish their websites in a way that indicates a substantial tie to the country.
Sources:
1. IANA Root Zone Database .NC (https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/nc.html)
2. OPT-NC Official Website (https://www.opt.nc/)
3. Gandi.net: The Detail of .nc domain names (https://www.gandi.net/en/domains/tld/nc/details)
4. “New Caledonia Government” (http://www.gouv.nc/)
5. “New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce and Industry” (http://www.cci.nc/)
