What is a Chinese Domain Name (“CDN”) and an Internationalised Domain Name (IDN)?
A CDN is a domain name that contains one or more Chinese characters. Presently, domain names have been in Latin characters like abc.com.sg. CDNs allow for Chinese characters to be used within domain names. Eg. 幸福.sg, 开心.com.sg
A IDN is a domain name that contains one or more non-Latin characters. .新加坡 & .சிங்கப்பூர் is newly launch IDN extensions on 14 December 2011, both Chinese and Tamil characters will be available under the strings of .新加坡 & .சிங்கப்பூர், which means “Singapore ” in Chinese and Tamil respectively.
Who can register for a CDN/IDN and what are the special registration requirements/restrictions for CDN/IDN?
- Local presence is required for domain admin contact; WebNIC can provide partners the local contact service in Singapore for .sg, .com.sg,.新加坡 & .சிங்கப்பூர
- You can register for a CDN in any category so long as you meet the registration criterion for that particular category. (.sg, .com.sg, .edu.sg, .org.sg, .net.sg, , .per.sg.)
- You can register for a IDN at second level only which only for names under .新加坡 & .சிங்கப்பூர, registration criterion for second level .sg is required to be meet.
For example, an Applicant for the CDN “Happy开心.com.sg” must also meet the registration criteria for “.com.sg” domain names; Happy开心.新加坡 must meet the registration criteria for “.sg”
Please refer to Domain FAQs for the common .sg registration requirements.
What is the term of registration?
1 or 2 years.
What is the different between a CDN/IDN and ASCII domain name?
An ASCII domain name simply means a domain name consisting of Latin characters like abc.com.sg or abcdef.edu.sg. An ASCII domain name would not have non-Latin characters within it whereas a CDN would have at least one Chinese character contained within and IDN would have at least one non-Latin characters contained within.
What is the length for CDN/IDN?
Minimum of 1 / maximum of 18 Chinese characters/non-Latin characters or 63 punycode characters.
How will my CDN/IDN be shown on the WHOIS?
When queried for, your CDN/IDN will show up in the WHOIS in Chinese characters/character script you applied for.
Does the CDN/IDN need to match my company name or any existing ASCII domain name I have now?
No, the CDN/IDN does not need to match with your company name nor any ASCII name you might currently hold.
Can I have a mixture of ASCII and Chinese characters in the CDN; Can I have a mixture of different script in the IDN?
Yes, mixtures are allowed. For eg. Happy开心.com.sg or 花flower.sg
An IDN can contain a mixture of ASCII and Chinese, or ASCII and Tamil characters. Chinese characters for .新加坡 whereas Tamil characters for .சிங்கப்பூர. For example, Happy开心.新加坡 or appleமகிழ்ச்சியான.சிங்கப்பூர.
IDN will not available in a mixture of Chinese characters and Tamil characters. For example, happyமகிழ்ச்சியான.新加坡 or மகிழ்ச்சியான开心.新加坡. Name in full ASCII characters is not allowed.
I have an existing name and I want to register for a CDN/IDN. Do I need to go back to the registrar?
No, you do not need to go back to the same registrar to register for the CDN/IDN.
What are Variants and how do I get them?
When a CDN/Chinese IDN is registered, a Full Traditional version (if any) and a Full Simplified (if any) version of the name will also be given to the registrant as a bundle at no extra costs. All other character combinations (whether in simplified or traditional form), if any, will be considered as a Variant of the original name applied for.
It is entirely up to you if you wish to activate the Variant(s) or not. Each activation of a Variant will be charged at a registration fees.
What happens to the Variants which I do not activate?
Variants which are not activated will not be resolvable and will not be available to others for registration as well.
Do I need to activate my Variant(s) at the point of registration?
You do not need to activate the Variant(s) at the point of registration and can choose to do the activation at a later stage. Each activation of a Variant will be charged at a registration fees.
If I activate a Variant 2 months after the registration of the CDN/IDN, does that also mean that the Variant will expire 2 months after the CDN/IDN expires?
No. The validity of a Variant will follow that of the original CDN/Chinese IDNapplied for. For example, a CDN/Chinese IDN was applied on 1 January 2011 and will expire on 31 Dec 2011. A variant of the CDN/Chinese IDNwas activated on 1 March 2011 but it will still follow the expiry date of the CDN/Chinese IDN and will thus expire on 31 Dec 2011.
What is punycode and what is it used for?
Punycode uniquely and reversibly transforms a unicode string into an ASCII string for use with internationalized domain names in applications, such that these domain names (like CDNs/IDNs) may be represented in the ASCII character allowed in the Domain Name System of the Internet.
Do I need to convert my CDN/IDN into punycode format for registration?
We would be able to process the conversion for you.
Can my CDN/IDN be used as a nameserver?
Yes, however the punycode version would need to be used.
How do I use CDN/IDN with my email?
At present, most email clients and mail transfer agents (MTAs) do not support internationalized email addresses i.e. CDNs/IDNs and there are obstacles to full compatibility with existing email systems.
Will CDN/IDN made available under Buy-One-Get-One-Free promotion?
Yes, CDN and IDN will made available under Buy-One-Get-One-Free promotion. If the same registrant registers an ASCII 3rd-level name (except for .per.sg and .gov.sg) and any 2nd-level ASCII or CDN name; similarly, if the same registrant registers a CDN 3rd-level name (except for .per.sg and .gov.sg) and any 2nd-level ASCII or CDN name. We will not charge registrants the registration fee of the 2nd level ASCII or CDN name provided the two names are registered by the same registrant in the same registration process. Please refer to the Term and Condition during the registration process for more details.