What is domain name? Category of “.vn” domain

What is domain name? Category of “.vn” domain (Internet image)

1. What is domain name?

According to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular 24/2015/TT-BTTTT, domain name refers to the name used for identifying the DNS server address formed from the set of alphabetical characters separated by a full stop “.”. Domain names shall be categorized into the followings:

- The domain name formed from the set of ASCII characters and symbols (hereinafter referred to as ASCII domain name); 

- The domain name formed from native alphabets of the traditional language in each country (hereinafter referred to as Internationalized domain name (IDN)). 

In particular, Vietnam domain name refers to the collection of lower-level domains below Vietnam top-level domains like “.vn” (hereinafter referred to as “.vn” domain) and other lower-level domains below top-level domains under Vietnam’s management.

(Clause 7 Article 2 of Circular 24/2015/TT-BTTTT)

2. “.vn” domain structure

Clause 1, Article 5 of Circular 24/2015/TT-BTTTT (amended by Circular 21/2021/TT-BTTTT) stipulates that the “.vn” domain name may include the domain name without accent marks, and the Vietnamese domain name:

- Domain names without Vietnamese characters and accent marks are ASCII domain names which are formed from characters and symbols defined in the table of ASCII characters and symbols, including lower-level domain names without accent marks below “.vn” domain names;

- Vietnamese domain names are internationalized domain names which are formed by characters defined in the table of Vietnamese characters and symbols or expanded Vietnamese characters and symbols according to the Vietnam standard 6909:2001 and separated by the mark “-“, including lower-level Vietnamese domain names below ".vn" domain names.

3. Category of “.vn” domain

The domain name “.vn” as prescribed in Article 5 of Circular 24/2015/TT-BTTTT (amended by Circular 21/2021/TT-BTTTT), includes:

(1) Generic secondary-level ".vn" domain names

Generic secondary-level ".vn" domain names classified by fields refer to ".vn" domain names coined after names of different activities in the social life, and commonly used by and not allocated particularly to organizations or individuals, including the followings:

- COM.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in trading and commercial activities;

- BIZ.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in trading and commercial activities (the same as COM.VN domain);

- EDU.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in educational and training activities;

- GOV.VN particularly designed for central and local state agencies;

- NET.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in online service establishment and provision activities;

- ORG.VN particularly designed for organizations involved in political, cultural and social activities;

- INT.VN particularly designed for international organizations;

- AC.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in research activities;

- PRO.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in highly specialized activities;

- INFO.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in information production, distribution and supply activities;

- HEALTH.VN particularly designed for organizations, individuals involved in pharmaceutical and medical activities;

- NAME.VN particularly designed for individuals applying for registration of personal name domains;

- Other domains stipulated by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

(2) Domain name “.vn” level 2 shared by administrative boundaries

Generic secondary-level ".vn" domain names classified by geographical entities refer to the domain names coined after ".vn" names of centrally-affiliated cities or provinces and commonly used by and not allocated particularly to organizations or individuals (such as hanoi.vn, haiphong.vn, etc.).

(3) Domain name “.vn” level 2 for private use

 Specific secondary-level ".vn" domain names refer to ".vn" domain names specifically intended for organizations or individuals applying for the domain registration to meet private demands.

(4) The 3rd level “.vn” domain name under the shared 2nd level unsigned domain name

Third-level ".vn" domain names refer to ".vn" domain names which are below generic secondary-level ".vn" domain names classified by fields, generic secondary-level ".vn" domain names classified by geographical entities, and are intended for organizations or individuals applying for the domain registration to meet private demands.

Van Trong

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