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The AFNIC opens up the .fr domain name to individuals from 20 June 2006

Home > Observatory and resources > News > The AFNIC opens up the .fr domain name to individuals from 20 June 2006
03/21/2006

Saint Quentin en Yvelines, March 21, 2006

Press release
21 March 2006

Make an .fr name for yourself

Increasing numbers of individuals are using the Internet. According to the audience measurement and survey company Médiamétrie, in 2005 the number of Internet users in France increased from 23.7 million to 26.1 million, which represents 50.5% of the French population over 11 years of age. It is used not only professionally and for online shopping; personal use, an integral part of French daily life, is also increasing. Uses include research, sharing photos, blogs, chat, etc. Individuals are showing a growing desire to stamp THEIR mark on the Internet world.

The AFNIC is reacting to this expectation by allowing all adults with a postal address in France to register domain names ending in .fr. Until now, only professionals, associations or public bodies have been able to register.
From 20 June 2006, everyone can give free rein to their imagination and register the .fr domain name which suits them.

“The AFNIC, a neutral and independent body, wants to give all French people the opportunity to create their own domain name ending in .fr. Names ending in .fr convey strong values such as proximity, belonging and francophony”, stated Jean-Claude Gorichon, President of the AFNIC.

How it works…

…For the AFNIC

The AFNIC is drawing up an .fr charter which sets out the respective responsibilities of the owners and the AFNIC domain name registrars, the latter also being subject to contractual obligations.

Before activating a domain name, the AFNIC checks that its technical configuration is correct. It then makes it accessible from anywhere on the Internet.

… For individuals

The process is very simple! If you are interested, just complete the following three steps:

Check whether the domain name is available by logging on to http://www.afnic.fr/obtenir/dispo
Choose the company (called a domain name registrar, which may be an Internet access provider, host or Internet service provider…) responsible for the registration and which will manage the contract. This company will send the request to the AFNIC by electronic form.
The domain name created is then quickly accessible from around the world. The user can then use it for his website, blog, email address, etc. Registering domain names online is simple and automated, and generally does not require any paper documents, which simplifies the management of the process for all domain name registrars, whatever their size.

The AFNIC is pleased to be able to participate in and boost Internet use in France in this way and to position .fr as an area for expression and freedom.

For any further information, please go to the website created for this purpose:
http://www.faites-vous-un-nom.fr

About the AFNIC

(Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération )

Non-profit organization, the AFNIC is in charge of the administrative and technical management of the .fr (France) and .re (Reunion Island) Internet domain names.
The AFNIC brings together public and private members: representatives
from the French government, Internet users and Internet Service
Providers.
Further information

About Afnic

Afnic is the acronym for Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, the French Network Information Centre. The registry has been appointed by the French government to manage domain names under the .fr Top Level Domain. Afnic also manages the .re (Reunion Island), .pm (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), .tf (French Southern and Antarctic Territories), .wf (Wallis and Futuna) and .yt (Mayotte) French Overseas TLDs.

In addition to managing French TLDs, Afnic’s role is part of a wider public interest mission, which is to contribute on a daily basis, thanks to the efforts of its teams and its members, to a secure and stable internet, open to innovation and in which the French internet community plays a leading role. As part of that mission, Afnic, a non-profit organization, has committed to devoting 11% of its Revenues from managing .fr Top Level Domain to actions of general interest, in particular by transferring €1.3 million each year to the Afnic Foundation for Digital Solidarity.
Afnic is also the back-end registry for the companies as well as local and regional authorities that have chosen to have their own TLD, such as .paris, .bzh, .alsace, .corsica, .mma, .ovh, .leclerc and .sncf.

Established in 1997 and based in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Afnic currently has nearly 90 employees.