.kiwi is an
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
generic top-level domain
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet. A top-level domain is the last level of ev ...
with emphasis on
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It employs the
colloquial
Colloquialism (also called ''colloquial language'', ''colloquial speech'', ''everyday language'', or ''general parlance'') is the linguistic style used for casual and informal communication. It is the most common form of speech in conversation amo ...
term ''
kiwi
Kiwi most commonly refers to:
* Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand
* Kiwi (nickname), an informal name for New Zealanders
* Kiwifruit, an edible hairy fruit with many seeds
* Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of curren ...
'', used to refer to New Zealanders.
there are just under 11,000 registered .kiwi domains, connected to 8,633 active websites.
History
Dot Kiwi Limited reportedly spent a "seven-figure" sum securing the new top level domain from the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) is a global multistakeholder group and nonprofit organization headquartered in the United States responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several dat ...
(ICANN).
The domain launched with a 'landrush' period in March 2014 after two years of planning.
In May 2014, shortly after launch, 4,600 .kiwi domains had been activated. As at the first anniversary on 1 May 2015, 12,000 .kiwi domains had been registered. Dot Kiwi Limited claimed that this meant .kiwi was in the top 25 per cent of new domains released by ICANN.
The .kiwi top level domain is not to be confused with .kiwi.nz, which launched as a new option under the
.nz top level domain in August 2012.
The technical backend was originally provided by the
Canadian Internet Registration Authority's Fury product.
In 2024,
InternetNZ
InternetNZ (officially Internet New Zealand Inc., formerly the Internet Society of New Zealand) is a Nonprofit organization, not-for-profit open membership organisation and the designated manager for the .nz Country code top-level domain, country ...
signed a contract with Dot Kiwi Ltd. to provide registry and registrar support services for the domain.
References
Further reading
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External links
IANA .kiwi whois informationDot-Kiwiofficial website
Internet in New Zealand
Mass media in New Zealand
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