Mali will be the first country to offer its .ml domains for free after ICANN offered the country the customised top level domain (TLD).
The domain extension will be managed by Agence des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (AGETIC) as a generic, unrestricted, clean and global TLD focusing on individuals and businesses in and outside Mali.
“We are proud to be the first African nation to give domain names for free,” said Moussa Dolo, General Manager of AGETIC. “By providing free domain names to internet users worldwide we will put Mali back on the map. We wish to show the rest of the world the fantastic opportunities our country has to offer.”
The free domains registry will be taken by Freedom Registry, a renowned player in the market. The domain will be available to users in Mali and outside the country from July 15 this year.
The Sunrise and Landrush period will be enforced to protect trademark holders across the world. Landrush is the process whereby selected individuals are invited to take up domain names according to their companies, for a limited time.
The registry is inviting people interested in utilising the .ml domains to contact them for strategic partnership opportunities.
