View source for .so

{{Short description|Internet country code top-level domain for Somalia}}
{{about|the top-level domain|the filename extension|Executable and Linkable Format}}
{{Infobox Top level domain
|name=.so
|background=#CCF
|image=SO domain logo.svg
|introduced=28 August 1997
|type=[[Country code top-level domain]]
|status=Active
|registry=SONIC
|sponsor=Somali Network Information Center
|intendeduse=Entities connected with {{flag|Somalia}}
|actualuse=Recently re-established
|restrictions=Limited to institutions and organizations in Somalia, residents of Somalia, others who have a legitimate, clear and provable connection to Somalia
|structure=Registrations can be made via authorized registrars
|document=Somalia .so
|disputepolicy=[http://sonic.so/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dotso-domain-name-registration-policies_v1.1_2.pdf .so domain name registration policies]<br />[http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/so/index.html WIPO]
|website= {{url|https://sonic.so/}}
}}

'''.so''' is the [[internet]] [[country code top-level domain]] (ccTLD) for [[Somalia]]. After a long absence, the .so domain was officially relaunched on November 1, 2010, by .SO Registry, which is regulated by the nation's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.<ref name="Soreg">{{Cite web |url=http://www.soregistry.so/ |title=SO Registry |access-date=2010-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031021901/http://www.soregistry.so/ |archive-date=2014-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was launched through various accredited [[Domain name registrar|registrar]]s around the world.

On 11 July 2013 the [[ISO 3166-1]] code for Somalia changed to reflect the SO used for the [[ccTLD]].

On July 8, 2015, the .so ccTLD registry was transferred to the Somali Network Information Center (SONIC),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nic.so/2015/07/15/migration/ |title=Migration - SONIC |access-date=2015-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722085711/http://www.nic.so/2015/07/15/migration/ |archive-date=2015-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which introduced new limitations on purchasing '''.so''' domain names by persons and organizations not affiliated with Somalia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.openprovider.co.uk/about-openprovider/news/upcoming-changes-somalian-so-domains |title=OpenProvider: Upcoming Changes to SO Domains |access-date=2015-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722074929/https://www.openprovider.co.uk/about-openprovider/news/upcoming-changes-somalian-so-domains |archive-date=2015-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=.so domain names|url=https://www.gandi.net/en/domain/tld/so|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Gandi.net|language=en}}</ref> As a result, several registrars suspended the registration of new '''.so''' domain names.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://uk.godaddy.com/help/about-so-domains-8805 |title = About .so Domains|website=uk.godaddy.com }}</ref>

On March 9, 2018, Somalia's newly established telecom regulator The National Communications Authority (NCA) took full control of the country's top-level internet domain (dotSO) from the Somali National Information Center (SONIC) and Cloudy Registry, who ran the operations and the management of the domain Registry.<ref name="xinhuanet.com">{{cite web | url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-03/10/c_137028160.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309191248/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-03/10/c_137028160.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 9, 2018 | title=Somalia's new telecom regulator takes control of top-level domain - Xinhua &#124; English.news.cn}}</ref>

==History==
{{Primary sources|date=May 2018}}
{{Original research section|date=May 2018}}

===Overview===
Due to the [[Somali Civil War|civil war]] in Somalia, operations of this domain were previously officially delegated to [[ml.org|Monolith Innovation Group]], a company in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-23|title=IANA {{!}} .so - Somalia|url=https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/so.html|access-date=2022-02-25|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023161720/https://www.iana.org/root-whois/so.htm |archive-date=2007-10-23 }}</ref> which is now defunct. The domain remained delegated to this company, even though it was defunct, until April 17, 2009, at which time the .so domain record was changed in the root zone to point to the servers of the new registry operator, the [[Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in Somalia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/so.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023161720/https://www.iana.org/root-whois/so.htm|url-status=dead|title=.so Domain Delegation Data|archivedate=October 23, 2007|website=www.iana.org|accessdate=March 30, 2024}}</ref>

===The demise of Monolith (ml.org)===
Monolith Innovations, as a domain name server, was popular in the mid-1990s.

Second-level domain registrations at the time were (by modern standards) relatively expensive. Monolith operated various projects which allowed small sites to obtain an Internet address of the form ''example.ml.org'' at effectively no cost instead of paying full price ($50US in the first year) for a domain like ''example.com'', ''example.org'' or ''example.net'' <ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-01-22 |title=Monolith Internet Services |url=http://www.ml.org/ml/about/projects.html |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980122215353/http://www.ml.org/ml/about/projects.html |archive-date=22 January 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The domain name record for .so was initially created on 28 August 1997, at or near the peak of the ml.org service's popularity. At the time, the potential benefits seemed more than apparent. By taking responsibility for a [[country code domain]], Monolith could have become able to issue *.so domains at second-level for little or no cost, providing a viable alternative to the higher Network Solutions pricing of that era.

According to ml.org's founder, Aveek Datta, in 1998, "I've personally been trying to create a global FREE top level domain. Whether or not this becomes a reality is another question; money talks and big bucks are being waved about in the registry battles."<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-01-22 |title=Monolith Internet Services |url=http://www.ml.org/ml/about/future.html |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980122215843/http://www.ml.org/ml/about/future.html |archive-date=22 January 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
However, the ml.org service ceased operations at the end of 1998 due to "technical and organisational problems" which included major server failures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-12-01 |title=Monolith Network Status |url=http://www.ml.org/status.html |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981201221025/http://www.ml.org/status.html |archive-date=1 December 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Its second-level domains remain registered to [[Aveek Datta]], president of the former Monolith Innovations Group, but appear not to be in active use.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-12-12 |title=Monolith Interim Services |url=http://www.ml.org/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981212031041/http://www.ml.org/ |archive-date=12 December 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Throughout the domain's history, a one-page placeholder site at the nic.so address claimed that "no .SO domains are available and we are not looking for any registrar partners."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-10-24 |title=NIC.SO |url=http://www.nic.so/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001024003521/http://www.nic.so/ |archive-date=24 October 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-02-20 |title=NIC.SO |url=http://www.nic.so/ |access-date=2022-02-25 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050220091125/http://www.nic.so/ |archive-date=20 February 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

However, the DNS servers for the domain name were badly configured,{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} so the nic.so address was only available intermittently.

===Relaunch===
On February 3, 2009, ICANN approved redelegation of the .so domain to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.<ref name="ICANN">{{Cite web|title=Preliminary Report Resolutions of Special Board Meeting - ICANN|url=https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/prelim-report-2009-02-03-en|access-date=2022-02-25|website=www.icann.org}}</ref> In ICANN's meeting minutes, it was revealed that Aveek Datta, the former registry operator, had disputed the redelegation request but he did not respond to ICANN's request to verify his connection with the former company.

The new registry operator relaunched the .so domain on November 1, 2010. Requests to become a registrar can already be submitted using the recently launched website of .SO Registry.<ref name="Soreg"/>

===Transfer===
On July 8, 2015, the .so ccTLD registry was transferred to the Somali Network Information Center (SONIC).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nic.so/2015/07/15/migration/ |title = Migration |access-date=2015-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722085711/http://www.nic.so/2015/07/15/migration/ |archive-date=2015-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On March 9, 2018, Somalia's newly established telecom regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA) took control of the domain name from SONIC and Cloudy Registry, who ran the operations and the management of the domain Registry.<ref name="xinhuanet.com"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://sonic.so/nca-takes-full-control-of-somalias-cctld-dotso/ | title=NCA Takes Full Control of Somalia's ccTLD (DotSO)}}</ref>  [[Somaliland]] banned use of this TLD as a result of the 2018 transfer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Somaliland retaliates top-level domain take-over, bans dotSo extensions |url=https://goobjoog.com/english/somaliland-retaliates-fed-government-domain-take-over-bans-dotso-extensions/ |access-date=9 October 2021 |work=Goobjoog News English |date=11 March 2018}}</ref>

==Name spaces==
The .so domain currently offers thirteen namespaces: the second-level-space ''.so'' is intended for general purpose usage, and the third-level-space ''.com.so'', ''.me.so'', ''.net.so'' and ''.org.so'' are set aside for commercial entities, individuals, networks, and not-for-profit organisations, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soregistry.so/|title=.SO Registry|accessdate=9 Sep 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031021901/http://www.soregistry.so/|archive-date=2014-10-31|url-status=dead}}</ref> There also exists ''.edu.so'' for higher education institutions; ''.gov.so'' for government entities; ''.sch.so'' for schools;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://domainr.com/sch.so?q=sch.so | title=sch.so}}</ref> and ''.gm.so'', ''.hs.so'', ''.jl.so'', ''.pl.so'', and ''.sw.so'' for [[Galmudug]], [[Hirshabelle]], [[Jubbaland]], [[Puntland]], and [[South West State of Somalia|South West]] states respectively.

==Registrars==
SONIC maintains a list of officially accredited local<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sonic.so/local-registrars/ | title=Local Registrars|website=sonic.so| date=20 September 2023}}</ref> and international<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sonic.so/registrars/international-registrars/ | title=International Registrars|website=sonic.so| date=20 September 2023}}</ref> registrars.

==See also==
* [[Communications in Somalia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscatinline}}
* [http://sonic.so/ SO Registry website]
* [https://whois.nic.so/ SO whois information center]
* [https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/so.html IANA .so whois information]

{{ccTLD}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:So}}
[[Category:Country code top-level domains]]
[[Category:Communications in Somalia]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1997]]