Registry transfer

50.      When does CIRA become the official .ca Registry?

CIRA will become the official .ca Registry as of the Operational Transfer Date, which is expected to be later this fall.

The transfer will be implemented in two stages over the next several months.

During the first stage, CIRA will build a new Registry infrastructure and .ca Domain Name Registrants will be requested to apply for pre-registration of their existing Domain Names in the CIRA system through a CIRA-certified Registrar. New .ca domain requests, however, will continue to be processed through the services of www.cdnnet.ca, following existing procedures.

During the second stage, when CIRA takes over operational control of the Registry, CIRA will activate the Registry it created in the previous stage. At this time, new .ca domain requests will also be accepted through CIRA-certified Registrars, under the new rules.

51.      What about sub-level .ca domains like .on.ca – what happens to those domains?

Existing third and fourth level Domain Names (provincial and city level) will be given the option of upgrading to a second level Domain such as xyzco.ottawa.on.ca to xyzco.ca under certain conditions.

As part of the Pre-OTD Registration Policy and Processes, a Registrant under the UBC Registry who pre-registers its existing Domain Name with CIRA, through a CIRA-Certified Registrar, will be allowed to request an upgrade of a 3rd and 4th level .ca Domain Name. To do so, a Registrant should simply advise its Registrar to make the request on the Pre-registration Request to be forwarded to CIRA for the Registration of the Domain Name. There will be no additional fees payable to CIRA by a Registrar for the processing of an Upgrade Request or for the upgrading of a Domain Name should this be accepted by the Registry.

Registrants are advised that such applications can only be considered by CIRA if:

·         The Domain Name was active prior to August 1, 2000.

·         The Domain Name is not in conflict with any other Domain Names in the .ca Registry at any level.

·         The Domain Name at the second level must conform to the CIRA Admissible Names for Registration policy.

If the upgrade request is accepted by the Registry, the Registrant and Registrar will be advised of this in the confirmation of Registration e-mail.

52.      How can someone find out if a third or fourth level name is available for upgrade?

Each CIRA-Certified Registrar is connected with our system and can indicate to you whether an upgrade will be possible. You should find out if your name has been upgraded within a few days of your request.

53.      If the upgrade is requested during pre-registration, is the existing third or fourth level Domain Name automatically lost?

Not necessarily. You can request the upgrade to the 2nd level domain (xyz.ca) and abandon the 3rd or 4th level domain (xyz.on.ca or xyz.Ottawa.on.ca) when you pre-register your Domain Name with a CIRA-certified Registrar. The second level domain would be operational at the changeover date on or about November 1st and your 3rd or 4th level domain would cease to be active. Or, you can request the upgrade to the 2nd level domain and indicate that you wish to maintain the 3rd or 4th level domain (essentially two registrations, with two fees) Both names would be operational at the changeover date on or about November 1st.

54.      What if I cannot upgrade my Domain Name – may I keep my third or fourth level domain?

Yes, if you register it with CIRA prior to the Operational Transfer Date.

It should be noted that it is expected that a certain number of Registrants of existing registrations under the current UBC Registry will not apply to re-register under the CIRA Registry. Therefore, a registration, which is not available for upgrade prior to the OTD, may be available for upgrade after the OTD.

CIRA will therefore allow the upgrading of registrations after OTD according to the same eligibility criteria beginning 30 days after OTD.

A Registrant who wishes to request an upgrade of its Domain Name after the OTD should cause its Registrar to submit an Upgrade Request to CIRA for the specific Domain Name and the Registrar will be charged a 1$ processing fee. If the Request is accepted, as per standard procedures, the Registrant and Registrar will be advised that the Domain specified in the request has been upgraded.

If the Upgrade Request is rejected the Registrant and Registrar will be advised.

55.      Will CIRA keep registering 3rd and 4^th level Domain Names after the Operational Transfer Date?

CIRA will continue to register 3rd and 4th level Domain Names under Provincial, and Territorial sub-domains as well as their official municipal sub-domains. To qualify such Domain Names must be for standard place names, as per CIRA's policies and must meet CIRA's standard requirements for the registration of Domain Names. Provincial or Territorial Governments wishing to request that CIRA place additional constraints on the allocation of Domain Names under their respective Provincial or Territorial domain codes or wishing to take over the administration of their respective Provincial or Territorial domain codes, under the .ca domain, may do so but only after entering into a contractual arrangement with CIRA that is satisfactory to CIRA.