The top-level domain (TLD) “.to” is the internet country code for the island kingdom of Tonga which is located in the South Pacific. This coding system was designed to help organize the structure of the internet and for differentiation of sites based on their region or function, thus individual countries have their own specific endings, or TLDs, that are attached to domain names registered within the country. In the case of Tonga, the “.to” ending applies (ICANN).
Despite it being the country code TLD for Tonga, it is used ubiquitously by various entities around the world due to its ability to spell out English words, similar to other TLDs like “.tv” for Tuvalu or “.me” for Montenegro. For example, it is often used by companies who incorporate it within the body of their name to spell our words such as go.to, how.to, or want.to (Domain Name Stat).
Domain names using “.to” are administered by Tonic Corporation, and they are commonly sold to entities outside of Tonga. This liberal registration policy has been a source of substantial income for Tonga. Furthermore, “.to” is one of the few ccTLDs that has not signed a contract with ICANN, which means that it is not bound by many of the rules that apply to other country-code domains (Tonic Corporation).
Additionally, certain sites have selected .to for reasons beyond its phonetic qualities. For example, many tech companies, particularly those dealing with online security choose “.to” because of its reputation for being a haven for hackers and those seeking to avoid internet regulations. This is because the Tongan government has less rigorous controls on internet content compared to other countries, providing an opportunity for sites dealing with dubious content to exist without fear of official backlash. For example, encryption service Tor uses a .to domain (WIRED Magazine).
To sum up, “.to” is a top-level domain with diverse uses and applications. While it’s officially the ccTLD of Tonga, its use is not limited to Tongan entities; it is globally popular because of its phonetic potential, its liberal registration policy, and its less rigorous controls on content. Examples of companies using it vary from legitimate businesses incorporating it along with their brand name, to cyber-security entities thriving in a regulation-light environment.
Sources:
- ICANN. “Domain Name System”, https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-2012-02-25-en
- Domain Name Stat. “Domain Count Statistics for TLDs”, https://domainnamestat.com.
- Tonic. “The .TO Domain Registry”, https://www.tonic.to/
- WIRED Magazine. “Meet the Hackers Who Are Decrypting Your Internet”, https://www.wired.com/2014/12/hacker-lexicon-domain-name-service/
