The launch of the new .co TLD officially began as LCN.com announced the launch of its .co pre-registration system, allowing customers the chance to secure their desired .co domain name. While pre-registering a domain name gives you a chance to secure your .co name, it does not guarantee that you will receive the name as the official launch still must go through three phases: sunrise, landrush, and open registration.
.Co is the country code (ccTLD) for Columbia and has been limited in the past to Columbian businesses and individuals. The Columbian government allowed the global release of the TLD and the launch now allows for anyone to register a .co domain name.
According to Mark Boost, managing Director of LCN.com, “The flexibility of .CO offers a national and global appeal due to its similarity to both the .com and .co.uk extensions.”
The official launch will take place in three phases:
- Sunrise (April 26 – June 10) – Allows registered trademarks to protect their brands by registering a .co domain name.
- Landrush (June 21 – July 13) -Allows for auctioning of commercially valuable domain names.
- General Availability (July 20) – Registration to open to the general public.
The pre-ordering process allows Registrants to pre-order their desired domain name, despite which phase the name can be officially registered within.
LCN.com states that they will take one bid for each potential domain, administered on a first-come first-served basis.