.gb
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Top level domain
.gb is a reserved Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom, derived from Great Britain.
The domain was introduced with RFC 920<ref>Template:Citation</ref> in October 1984 that set out the creation of ccTLD generally using country codes derived from the corresponding two-letter code in the ISO 3166-1 list. However, the .uk domain had been created separately a few months before the compilation of this list.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Consequently, .gb was never widely used. It is no longer possible to register under this domain.
.gb was used for a number of years, mainly by British government organisations and commercial e-mail services using X.400-based e-mail infrastructure. This simplified translating between DNS domains and X.400 addresses, which used "GB" as a country code.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
With the demise of X.400 e-mail and IANA's general aim of one TLD per country, use of .gb declined; the domain remains in existence, but it is not currently open to new domain registrations.
As of 2024, there are at least three subdomains resolving through DNS (although none serve a website): hermes.dra.hmg.gb, delos.dra.hmg.gb, and dfhnet.dra.hmg.gb.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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}}</ref> They were originally owned by the Defence Research Agency,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which became the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 1995 and was split into QinetiQ and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in 2001; the websites became defunct some time thereafter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Template:As of, Central Digital and Data Office's (see Cabinet Office) intention is to inform ICANN early in 2023 that the UK wishes to retire .gb.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Needs update
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- IANA .gb whois information
- JANET(UK) website Template:Webarchive
- Last accessible copy of www.dra.hmg.gb in the Internet Archive
- Official country code for Britain = GB or UK? Email discussion on GB domain (2002) with historical zonefiles.
Template:UK top-level domains Template:Navbox with collapsible groups