The Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .io is nominally assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory. The domain is managed by Internet Computer Bureau Ltd, a domain name registry, with registrar services provided by Name.com.
AI overview
".io" is a web address ending that was originally assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory but is now used globally by internet users and businesses. It matters because it has become a popular choice for websites—particularly tech startups and companies—as an alternative to more traditional domain endings like ".com."
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Top level domain.name
- .io
- Top level domain.image
- Nicio.png
- Top level domain.alt
- NIC.IO -- .IO Domain Registry
- Top level domain.introduced
- 16 September 1997
- Top level domain.type
- Country code top-level domain
- Top level domain.status
- Active
- Top level domain.registry
- Internet Computer Bureau Ltd
- Top level domain.intendeduse
- Entities connected with the British Indian Ocean Territory
- Top level domain.actualuse
- Popular with startup companies and browser games
- Top level domain.restrictions
- None for 2nd level registrations; 3rd level registrant must be resident of British Indian Ocean Territory
- Top level domain.structure
- Registrations are taken directly at the second level or at third level beneath various 2nd-level labels
Article
9 sectionsContents
- History
- Future
- Registration and restrictions
- Usage
- .io games
- Controversy
- See also
- References
- External links
The Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .io is nominally assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory. The domain is managed by Internet Computer Bureau Ltd, a domain name registry, with registrar services provided by Name.com.
==History== The .io domain was delegated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to British entrepreneur Paul Kane in 1997 together with the ccTLDs .ac (Ascension Island), .sh (Saint Helena), and .tm (Turkmenistan). Kane operated them for private benefit under the trade name "Internet Computer Bureau" from 1997 until 2017. In 2014, Kane claimed that "profits are distributed to the authorities for them to operate services as they see fit" and that "Each of the overseas territories has an account and the funds are deposited there because obviously the territories have expenses that they incur and it's offsetting that." However the UK government has repeatedly stated that this is untrue: "There is no agreement between the UK Government and ICB regarding the administration of the .io domain" and "the Government receives no revenues from the sales or administration of this domain." The first subdomain was registered under .IO in 1998, when Levi Strauss & Co. registered the domain levi.io.