The following is CIRA's press release regarding the oft discussed 'extension' Please read and by happy! Thanks, Ken November 1 deadline for .ca re-registration deferred CIRA announces new scheme for operational transfer of .ca Registry Ottawa, November 1, 2000 � CIRA today announced that it has come to an agreement with the University of British Columbia to defer the operational transfer of the .ca Registry until December 1, 2000. The agreement is meant to allow existing .ca domain name holders more time to re-register their domain names with CIRA. �CIRA is extremely concerned that, despite the well-publicized upcoming transfer, as of October 29, 2000 only 30,000 (out of approximately 98,000) current registrants of a .ca domain name in the UBC Registry had not yet applied to re-register their domain names with CIRA,� said Maureen Cubberley, Chair, CIRA Board. This one-month extension will give current .ca registrants who have not already done so additional time to re-register their domain names. Failure to re-register will result in a website or e-mail address being inaccessible through that domain name after November 30, 2000. CIRA urges all .ca registrants to avoid this outcome by selecting a CIRA certified registrar (list available at www.cira.ca) and proceeding with the re-registration before December 1, 2000. Existing .ca domain names will be reserved until January 31, 2001, at which time, all current .ca domain names that have not been re-registered with CIRA will become available for registration by another person. The new scheme also makes provisions for the registration of new .ca domain names. As previously announced, CIRA certified registrars will begin accepting new .ca registrations on November 8, 2000. However, the registrations will be made in the UBC Registry until November 30, 2000. On December 1, 2000, they will be automatically transferred to and become operational in CIRA�s Registry. This also means that the currently queued requests for registration of new .ca names will be processed beginning November 8, 2000. �We are well aware that a great number of Canadians are anxiously awaiting the opening of the new .ca Registry under the new rules for registration,� said Glen Bloom, Vice-Chair, CIRA Board. �The new CIRA rules provide an opportunity for .ca to become the Canadian domain for e-commerce, and many people want to seize that opportunity sooner rather than later." The fees for registering and re-registering .ca domain names vary. CIRA charges registrars $20 per year for a registration. Registrars are then free to set their own fee structure. CIRA has set up a toll-free number to respond to inquiries from the public on domain name registration. The toll-free number is 1-877-860-1411. About CIRA CIRA is a not-for-profit organization mandated by the Canadian Domain Name Consultative Committee to operate the .ca top-level domain. It is responsible for setting policy, managing and operating the .ca domain database, and registering Domain Names through its network of certified Registrars. For information on CIRA and its policies, please visit www.cira.ca. For more information or to coordinate an interview, please contact: Annie Boucher Ken Communications and Public Affairs (613) 276-9172 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
