View source for .be

{{Short description|Internet country code top-level domain for Belgium}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox top level domain
| name                  = .be
| image                 = DNS Belgium logo (en).svg
| introduced            = 5 August 1988 {{small|(added to root zone)}}
| type                  = [[Country code top-level domain]]
| status                = Active
| registry              = [[DNS Belgium]]
| sponsor               = DNS Belgium
| registereddomains     = 1,746,459
| dateregistereddomains = 2022-12-10
| refregistereddomains  = <ref name="registered-domains">{{Cite web |date=2022-12-10 |title=Statistics {{!}} DNS Belgium |url=https://www.dnsbelgium.be/en/knowledge/statistics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210182856/https://www.dnsbelgium.be/en/knowledge/statistics |archive-date=2022-12-10 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=DNS Belgium}}</ref>
| intendeduse           = Entities connected with [[Belgium]]
| actualuse             = Very popular in [[Belgium]]; also used by [[YouTube]] for [[URL shortening]]
| restrictions          = None
| structure             = Names can be registered directly at second level; some third-level names under categories such as ''ac.be'' for academic institutions also exist
| document              = [https://www.dnsbelgium.be/en/documents Documents]
| disputepolicy         = [https://www.dnsbelgium.be/en/domain-name-legal-domain-name-disputes/adr-procedure ADR]
| website               = [https://www.dnsbelgium.be/ www.dnsbelgium.be]
| dnssec                = Yes
}}

'''.be''' is the [[Internet]] [[country code top-level domain]] (ccTLD) for [[Belgium]]. In November 2022, there were 1,746,459 registered [[domain name]]s using it.<ref name="registered-domains"/>

== History ==
The domain became active in 1989 and was administrated by [[Pierre Verbaeten]] of the [[Katholieke Universiteit Leuven]]. In 2000, the control of the TLD was transferred to [[DNS Belgium]].

It was announced in November 2005 that the initial registration of domains would be free until the beginning of 2006, though with some limits on the number any individual was allowed to register.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051230060105/http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=383 .be Advertising Campaign]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060310225140/http://www.dns.be/pdf/Pressrelease_en_20060202.pdf DNS BE rounds out successful recruitment campaign by clocking up its one millionth domain name]</ref> 

This was remarkably popular, with some 17,000 registrations coming in on the first day of the promotion.

== Registration ==
Any .be registration has to be ordered via a registered agent. Domain names are registered directly at second level. 

[[BELNET]], the federal internet provider for scientific institutions, manages the <code>.ac.be</code> subdomain reserved for academic entities, with a policy of allowing only one active .ac.be domain per institution. 

Because of this, most universities abandoned their .ac.be SLD as primary domain. This is why ''ucl.ac.be'' shifted to ''uclouvain.be'', ''fundp.ac.be'' to ''unamur.be'', ''ulg.ac.be'' to ''uliege.be'' or ''fusl.ac.be'' to ''usaintlouis.be'' when changing names. 

The [[University of Mons-Hainaut]], by merging with the [[Faculté polytechnique de Mons]] (''fpms.ac.be'') into a new legal entity called the [[University of Mons]], could change its domain from ''umh.ac.be'' to ''umons.ac.be''.

=== Regional variants ===
The Flemish separatist party [[Vlaams Belang]] introduced a draft resolution in the [[Flemish Parliament|Parliament]] of the region of [[Flanders]] demanding the creation of a Flemish top level domain .vl (for {{lang|nl|Vlaanderen}}, Flanders in [[Flemish dialects|Flemish]]).<ref>[https://www.vlaamsbelang.org/vlaams-belang-wil-b-vervangen-door-vl-op-autonummerplaten-landspostcode-internetextentie-en-burgerluchtvaartuigen/ Vlaams Belang wil 'B' vervangen door 'VL' op autonummerplaten, landspostcode, internetextentie en burgerluchtvaartuigen]</ref> 

However, this resolution failed to receive support of the region's other parties. Only recognized UN member states are eligible for a two-letter domain extension.<ref name="rfc1591">{{cite web |last1=Postel |first1=Jon |date=March 1994 |title=IANA RFC |url=http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1591}}</ref> 

In October 2008, the Flemish government expressed its intention to obtain a three-letter domain code for Flanders, like .vla, .vln or .fla. In 2014, [[.vlaanderen]] and [[.brussels]] were added, also administered by DNSBelgium.

The domain has also been in use as a logo for the federal government since 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Logo|url=http://logo.fgov.be/|language=fr|access-date=2014-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516190344/http://logo.fgov.be/|archive-date=2014-05-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Domain hack ==
[[YouTube]] uses the [[domain hack]] <code>youtu.be</code> for their [[URL shortening]] service.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/be.html IANA .be whois information]
* [http://www.dnsbelgium.be/whois/findRegistrars?0 List of .be registered agents]

{{CcTLD}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Be}}
[[Category:Internet in Belgium]]
[[Category:Mass media in Belgium]]
[[Category:Country code top-level domains]]
[[Category:Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries members]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1988]]

{{Section link|sv:Toppdomän#B}}