Global domains: Cooperative Associations (.coop)

Once the domain is registered

All Cooperative Associations domain names registered with us are stored on our international server. Domains registered with us are automatically provided with their own under-construction page - this notifies potential registrants that the name has been acquired and is now registered. The under-construction page is offered free of charge and may be used indefinitely.

It is possible for Web and/or Mail forwarding to be provided for Cooperative Associations domains.

Domain transfer/release fees are charged are by a majority of registrars, but BB Online make no charge to transfer a domain to another Cooperative Associations domain name registrar.

Background

.coop is a sponsored top-level domain intended for the use of cooperatives, wholly owned subsidiaries, and other organisations that exist to promote or support co-operatives. It was created as a result of ICANN's announcement in late 2000 of a phase release of seven new top-level domains (TLDs) intended in part to take the pressure off the overcrowded .com domain. It was backed by a coalition of interest groups, was developed by the worker co-operative Poptel in the UK and became operational on January 30, 2002.

Its sponsor is DotCooperation LLC (also known as dotCoop), which was created as a subsidiary of a United States cooperative union, the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) to operate the TLD. It was the NCBA that funded the lion's share of the costs of creating .coop.

As a sponsored domain with limited economies of scale, .coop domains are expensive compared to generic top-level domains, costing in the region of $100 per year, depending on the choice of registrar or reseller. Registrations are processed via accredited registrars.

Though .coop is restricted as above, not all co-ops with a web presence utilize it. During part of 2005 the REI co-op for a time had a redirector at www.rei.coop that led to their main site at rei.com. Other groups may have a site in .com, .org, or under the code of the country they operate in.

DynDNS was hired as the sole DNS provider for the registry in 2006.