Nominet, the UK domain governing body, have just announced plans to launch the new shorter “.UK” domain extension to run alongside the existing “.CO.UK” extension type.

This is a significant change within the domain industry that existing domain owners need to be aware of.

When will .UK domains launch?
Nominet have said the new domains are to launch in “summer 2014” and are due to confirm a more specific date by February next year. As soon as we know when, we’ll let you know!

How much will .UK domains cost?
The new domains will be priced very similarly to the current .CO.UK, .ORG.UK and .ME.UK domain names. So expect a price of around £6.00 plus VAT for two years.

What happens to my existing .CO.UK domain?
Any existing .CO.UK, .ORG.UK and .ME.UK domain extensions will remain unaffected and continue to operate as normal.

I already own a .CO.UK domain. Do I have first option on .UK?
Yes! Existing UK domain owners will be offered the “.UK” version of their existing domain name before anybody else. Nominet will ensure you have first option on your .UK domain for a whole 5 years!
This is an opportunity to replace your existing domain, or use the new .UK extension in addition to it.

That’s all we know for now, but stay tuned for further news on the new .UK domain extension as we get it