On June 1, 2020, the National Communication Authority (NCA) will officially launch the top-level domain .SS.
South Sudan will also have its unique domain (.ss).
The National Communication Authority (NCA) is currently the agency managing the .SS domain name registry, and with this notice, it wishes to inform the general public about the launch phases and the procedure of the .SS domain name.
The registration process will go through three stages, as described below, before it reaches the general availability period, this process will take 90 calendar days.
The 90-day period is divided as follows:
Sunrise period: is a limited period of pre-registration and is the mandatory first step in launching all new top-level domains (TLDs). Sunrise is the appropriate time to register trademarks as domains. This period provides trademark owners with the opportunity to protect their trademarks on the new top-level domain (ccTLD) .SS. The Sunrise period is a 45-day phase during which trademark owners can acquire domain names before they are offered to the general public. This period is managed by the registry through accredited registrars.
Trademark owners must confirm their ownership rights to the domain name associated with their domain name.
Landrush period: The 30-day period allows registrants to apply for domain name registration before General Availability (GA), but at a higher price. There are no trademark requirements for Landrush period applications, although existing trademark claims are taken into consideration. If there is competition for a domain name during this period, an auction will be held and the applicant with the highest bid will receive the domain name.
Early Access period: This period is reserved for those who want to access domain names that are not on the premium domain list and have not yet been registered in the registry. This period will last for 10 days before the General Availability period and will allow registrants to order domain names immediately after launch. An additional fee will be charged for reserving the domain name, which will be registered immediately after launch.
General Availability (GA): Once the new TLD is GA, it is officially launched and available for registration.
| Period | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | 45 days | Limited period of pre-registration for trademark owners to protect their trademarks on the new top-level domain (ccTLD) .SS |
| Landrush | 30 days | Period for registrants to apply for domain name registration before General Availability, but at a higher price. No trademark requirements, but existing claims considered. Auction held if there is competition for a domain name. |
| Early Access | 10 days | Reserved for those who want to access domain names not on the premium domain list and not yet registered in the registry. Registrants can order domain names immediately after launch at an additional fee for reserving the domain name. |
| General Availability | N/A | Once the new TLD is GA, it is officially launched and available for registration. |
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