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.al is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Albania. It is administered by the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority of Albania (AKEP).
| Introduced | 21 April 1992 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) |
| Sponsor | Electronic and Postal Communications Authority |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Albania |
| Actual use | Very popular in Albania, also used elsewhere. Sometimes used in the US state of Alabama. |
| Registration restrictions | Free for anyone, some restrictions apply only on second level domains (ex: .com.al) which are allowed only for Albanian citizens and businesses registered in Albania |
| Dispute policies | Disputes must be with registrant alone; NIC disclaims all legal responsibilities |
| Registry website | akep.al |
AKEP recommends that .al domain registrations be performed with one of the AKEP accredited registrars.[1] There are also international registrars that resell .al domains.[2] Domain names should be between 2 and 63 characters. Although the Albanian language has a number of special characters, the registry has not enabled the use of IDN characters.
2nd level registrations
editIn the past, registrations were not permitted directly at the second level, but a few existing names were "grandfathered"; they were uniti.al, tirana.al, soros.al, upt.al and inima.al.[citation needed]
In 2012 registrars started to resell .al domain names widely making them popular outside Albania as domain hacks.[citation needed]
In November 2014 the registry released two character domain names allowing for free landrush.[citation needed]
3rd level registrations
editRegistrations used to be only beneath the second-levels, i.e., .com.al, .net.al, .org.al, and .edu.al labeled appropriately for the type of organisation, but many now exist directly below .al.[citation needed]
Whois servers
editAs of November 1, 2019, the Autoriteti i Komunikimeve Elektronike dhe Postare (AKEP) has mandated that all AKEP accredited registrars begin verifying and updating the WHOIS contact information for all new domain registrations and Registrant contact modifications.
Domain figures
editAs of the end of 2022 there were 27,275 registered .al-domains.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Domains Application Form". www.akep.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 2018-07-21. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Domain .al Domains". Archived from the original on 2019-04-13. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ "Raporti Vjetor AKEP 2022" (PDF). www.akep.al. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
External links
edit- IANA .al whois information
- AKEP Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP)
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