Registrars' role - pre-transfer registration period

27.      What is the Pre-transfer Registration Period, and when does it begin?

The Pre-transfer Registration Period is a period during which existing .ca Domain Name Registrants are required to pre-register their Domain Names in the new .ca Registry operated by CIRA. The Pre-transfer Registration Period began September 18, 2000 and will continue until the Operational Transfer Date, on or about November 1,2000.

CIRA will notify Registrars via e-mail well in advance of the beginning of the Pre-transfer Registration Period. There will also be a public announcement. UBC will notify Registrants (existing Domain Name holders).

28.      When will Registrars start processing registrations?

Registrars will start processing registrations when they are both certified by CIRA and operationally ready to provide services. It is the Registrar’s responsibility to notify CIRA when it is ready to offer services.

During the Pre-Transfer Registration period Registrars will not be allowed to apply on behalf of Applicants to register new Domain Names in the CIRA Registry. Those wishing to register new Domain Names in the .ca Registry during this period shall do so through the existing Registry www.cdnnet.ca.

29.      When will Registrars start charging .ca Domain Name Applicants and Registrants? How will the fees be set?

Registrars may begin charging for their services during the Pre-transfer Registration Period.

Registrars will be free to set their own fees for services they provide to Registrants, but CIRA will charge all Registrars the same fees for registration services ($20 per year). CIRA’s Fee Schedule is located at http://www.cira.ca/en/registrars/documents.

30.      Who sets the fees for CIRA-Certified Registrars?

All certified Registrars pay the same fee to CIRA for registering a domain name. The minimum period for new registrations will be for one year and the cost to the Registrar is currently set at $20, plus applicable taxes, for this one-year registration.

Registrars are then free to set their own pricing policy.

It is, however, important to note that CIRA has set up a competitive Registrar system whereby there is no limit to the number of Registrars it will certify. It is expected that this competitive environment will keep prices reasonable. (In less than one month of operations CIRA has sent out over 125 Certification Applications to persons who are interested in becoming CIRA-certified Registrars and has already certified 13 Registrars.)

Registrants are therefore invited to "shop around" for the Registrar that best suits their needs.

The list of CIRA Certified Registrars can be found at: http://www.cira.ca/cira/public.

31.      Will Registrars need to set up their own systems?

Yes, Registrars will be responsible for setting up their own systems to apply for Domain Name registrations on behalf of Applicants. In fact, Registrar Applicants may be requested to describe these systems in the Certification process.

32.      How will Registrars submit Domain Name requests to CIRA during the Pre-transfer Registration Period?

CIRA will accept transaction requests (such as applications to register a Domain Name, and requests to renew, transfer, modify, suspend or cancel a Domain Name registration) from Registrars in three formats:

§         Encrypted e-mail (All e-mail communications between the Registry and the Registrar must be PGP encrypted and signed with the appropriate private and public keys.)

§         CIRA Web using SSL

§         Automated Web-based form using SSL and XML.

CIRA may add new formats or remove existing ones by giving 30 days notice to Registrars by e-mail in accordance with Article 13 of the Registrar Agreement with CIRA.

A Registrar must advise CIRA prior to certification as to which method it will use to communicate transaction requests.

A Registrar will only be allowed to use one method during any given period to communicate transaction requests to the Registry, but a Registrar may change its method of communicating transaction requests to CIRA by communicating this request to CIRA via e-mail and receiving CIRA's approval to change its method. Registrars will be responsible for ensuring that all requests and messages reach the CIRA Registry computers via the Internet.

Detailed information is available at http://www.cira.ca/en/docs_regis.html in Technical Procedures

33.      When does the Pre-transfer Registration Period end?

The Pre-transfer Registration Period will end on the Operational Transfer Date (OTD) on or about November 1,2000. The OTD is expected later this fall. CIRA's main objective is to ensure that all existing Registrants have the opportunity to pre-register their names before the OTD.