AFNIC is the new registry for .tf

TF is the Internet code for the French Southern and Antartic Lands (in French: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises or TAAF).

Since October 23, 1997, the administrative and technical management of this ccTLD has been carried on by
Adamsnames, an English company based in Cambridge.
Starting from October, 23 2004, this management will be taken over by the AFNIC, the French Network Information centre.

As per the
ISO 3166-1 standard, TF code is associated to the Territory of the French Southern and Antartic Lands. This territory includes the Amsterdam Island, the Saint-Paul Island, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands and the Adelie Land. The singularity of this territory is be occupied not by native people, but in a permanent way by scientists and engineers of various French research organizations.

Even though AdamsNames did offer a reliable technical service, the .tf administration would not involve French authorities nor consider French law. Besides, it did not bring to the residents the services they needed (i.e use of French language, official registration policy).

That is why French authorities requested from ICANN redelegation of .tf ccTLD to AFNIC, the registry for .fr (France) and .re (Reunion Island).

AFNIC is a not-for-profit organization, associating French and foreign public and private participants. Its Board of Directors includes Internet service providers, users, other ccTLDs registries and representatives of the French government (Departments in charge of Telecommunications, Industry and Research.).

The actual registrants of .tf domains have been informed of this change by individual e-mail .

Redelegation operations have been carried on in strong cooperation between ICANN, AFNIC and AdamsNames in order to make sure that no technical problems would affect the 1550 registrations already effective under .tf.

AFNIC now administers the website www.nic.tf and the Whois database (on whois.nic.tf). AFNIC promises to maintain the existing .tf domain name free of charge for the registrants until new rules come into force in the next few months.

During the necessary period of time allowing delegation to be fully effective and in order to avoid any risk of instability or inconsistencies on .tf domain names database, no operation (transfer, DNS update…) on domain name(s) will be possible.
We shall much endeavour to minimize this period of blocking that should finish on the latest on December, 31, 2004(1).

Any new registration will stay suspended until new regulation comes into force.

The new registration rules and the date of their implementation will be communicated in the next months on the website:
www.nic.tf.

Despite our efforts, if .tf registrants notice any technical problem with their domain name(s) that should occur or for any other question about .tf, AFNIC brings to their disposal an e-mail address: tf@afnic.fr. Requests can be formulated either in French or in English.

Related information

IANA website

French overseas departments and territories: ccTLDs and registries

Official website of the French Southern and Antartic Lands (TAAF)

1 – Added January, 4 2005 and March, 03 2005: The .tf zone is going to be frozen for a longuer period. More news about .tf on the page: ccTLDS of the French overseas departments and territories.