.np domain project

The project was intended to engage consultant to study np domain registration and administration under the government agency and greentick was awarded by Nepal Telecommunications Authority for providing consultancy services on “.np domain registration and management.”

Concerned party and its objectives

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the client, is the central authority of the government of Nepal charged with the responsibilities for creating a favorable and competitive environment for the development, expansion, and operation of telecommunication services in the country. The stakeholders of the project were the Ministry of Communication and Technology (MoCIT), the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd., and the internet community of Nepal.

The objectives of the project were to:

  • study best international practices on ccTLD.
  • recommend the policy and procedure to bring the .np domain registration under a government agency.
  • suggest organizational setup and tentative cost estimate for the setup of required infrastructure.

Description

The internet is part of a country’s virtual Real estate and the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) is one of the virtual real estate’s inherent natural resources. The ccTLD should be developed for the benefit of all and as with any natural resource, governance issues are paramount. Every country worldwide has its top-level domain like for Nepal it is .np.

The top-level domain for Nepal is ”.np” and a private institution, namely, Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd was first registered to manage the services in 1995. However, as per the instruction by the Development and Technology Committee of Federal Parliament of Nepal and Nepal Government, .np domain registration and management under the government agency were to be studied. The ccTLDs are viewed worldwide as a public trust and are designated to operators who will operate them in the best interests of the local communities they serve. The ccTLD operators should strive to tailor operations to best serve the user’s needs, ensure minimum technical standards are met and operate by complying with the policy that suits local requirements.

Scope of work

greentick analyzed and made recommendations for the best modality for .np domain registration and best practices to execute the following tasks:

  • Study Situational Analysis
  • Prepare a broad regulatory framework/ guideline
  • Prepare an implementation model
  • Recommend best domain administration model
  • Prepare the human resources, infrastructure, and the budget
  • Presented the .np domain migration strategy

The project intended to bring deep involvement of government in domain name administration at the national level. It has asserted the need for the Government of Nepal to assert a proprietary interest in their national ccTLD.