| Goodbye, Free Cyber Road! | |
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The good, free times are over for Canadian e-commerce entrepreneurs. Until now, anyone could register for a .ca domain and use it for free. It was a dream come true for anyone who wanted to get into the e-commerce game; if you couldn't get the .com name you wanted for your company without mortgaging your house to buy it back from someone, you stood a good chance of getting the top-level domain name you wanted through the .ca registry... and unlike registering for a .com domain, the service was free, thanks to the efforts of the .CA Committee, a volunteer group at the University of British Columbia.
This happy state of affairs existed because Canada is a smaller country than the U.S. and there were comparatively fewer people trying to register .ca domains, especially since the e-commerce wave has yet to crest in this country. But one thing Canada does have plenty of is government, and the registration of Canadian domains, like everything else, is now going to be governed. Now, if you go to CDNnet, you'll be redirected to CIRA , the new non-profit organization formed to oversee .ca domain registration.
CIRA is responsible for setting policy, assigning domain names, managing and operating the .ca domain database, providing dispute resolution services and handling complaints about registrars. Since February 1999, CIRA's Board of Directors has been negotiating with UBC for the transfer of the .ca domain registry to CIRA and developing the technical, administrative and business framework for the company. CIRA expects to be able to offer registration services by Fall 2000.
What this means is that the .ca domain registry is currently in limbo. CIRA hasn't started recruiting registrars yet (the agents that will be authorized by CIRA to process and collect fees for domain name registrations and renewals). There are no registrars currently listed on their website. If you were thinking of becoming a registrar, you can't, because CIRA isn't accepting applications yet. All you can do is join an email list to receive updates about registrar status.
If you're not concerned about becoming a registrar and just wanted to register a .ca domain name, you'll still want to watch what happens with the CIRA registrars. While CIRA plans to charge registrars a set fee, accredited registrars will set their own fees for domain name applications and renewals. CIRA's FAQ claims that this should "ensure a variety of choices and competitive pricing for this service" which is fine theoretically... if enough accredited registrars are created to ensure competition.
The second potential problem with the transfer from CDNnet to CIRA is that the process for transferring previously registered .ca domain names to the new system is still being developed. Whether or not this is a smooth, seamless transition remains to be seen. For the moment, if you already have a .ca domain, you can just continue what you're doing. CIRA claims all current registered domain holders will be notified of the new procedures and prices when the new framework is established. I'd keep a close eye on all my forms of mail; the number of sites that go offline because someone didn't pay the registration or hosting fee by the required deadline is higher than you think.
If you don't already have one, you can still apply for a new .ca domain name at Webnames (formerly CDNnet), but you'll have to pay for it up front. The current price schedule became effective June 7, 2000 and calls for an online payment of $53.50 for a one year registration. If you want to pay by cheque, add a $25.00 handling fee.) This is more expensive than a .com domain, but according to the pricing FAQ, administering the structure and rules of the .ca domain is much more time and labour intensive because of all the safeguards against cybersquatters registering and reselling multiple domain names to make a buck. (Imagine!) However, while under the current rules, organizations are allowed only one domain name, once CIRA assumes operation of the .ca registry, any qualifying individual or organization will be able to register an unlimited number of domain names. How does this protect us from entrepreneurial cybersquatters?
If you're a small business owner who has a .ca domain or hopes to have one, CIRA will bear watching. How much is having a .ca domain name worth? It is top-level, but it's not going to be a bargain anymore. You might want to purchase a .com instead (or even an .org). Meantime, if you're concerned about the creeping presence of Big Brother on the net and want to have a say in how the domain name system evolves, consider becoming an 'at large' member of ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). The goal of ICANN is to give individual Internet users worldwide a voice in determining Internet policy.
As they say about government, we'll only get the net that we deserve.
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