.cx

.cx
Introduced24 April 1997 (1997-04-24)
TLD typeCountry code top-level domain
StatusActive
RegistryChristmas Island Domain Administration Limited (cxDA)
SponsorChristmas Island Domain Administration Limited (cxDA)
Intended useEntities connected with Christmas Island
Registered domains~14,000 (2022-12-14)[1]
Registration restrictionsNone
StructureRegistrations can be made directly at second level; some third-level names exist for Christmas Island sites such as governmental sites in .gov.cx
DocumentsRegistration agreement
Acceptable Use Policy
Dispute policiesCoCCA Complaint Resolution Service
DNSSECyes
Registry websitecxda.org.cx

.cx is the country code top-level domain for Christmas Island administered by Christmas Island Domain Administration (cxDA).

Management

The Christmas Island Internet Administration is a community-owned non-profit company which also provides Internet service to the island's residents.

.cx is a patron of the Council of Country Code Administrators (CoCCA), a group of country-code domains making use of common registry services.[2] .cx partakes in CoCCA's Complaint Resolution Service (CRS).[3]

History

The .cx top-level domain was delegated on 23 April 1997 to Karinna Love of Planet Three Ltd., a company based in London, United Kingdom.[4]

In 1999, the local Internet community on Christmas Island expressed interest in bringing the domain under local control. An organisation named "Dot CX Limited" was identified as the appropriate recipient, and in 2000 submitted documentation confirming the existing delegee's agreement to transfer control.[4] The Australian government required Dot CX Limited to enter into an agreement with ICANN within a set period; however, despite numerous proposals over several years, no agreement could be reached. During this impasse, IANA continued processing name server changes originating from Dot CX with approval from Australia's Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA), keeping the .cx domain operational.[4]

In September 2005, a new redelegation request was submitted under the organisation's revised name, Christmas Island Internet Administration Limited (CIIA), endorsed by the Christmas Island Shire Council.[4] In November 2005, the Australian government provided IANA with a formal statement of support for the redelegation.[4] On 10 January 2006, the ICANN Board of Directors authorised the redelegation from Planet Three Ltd. to CIIA.[4] IANA concluded that CIIA met all established criteria, noting that its personnel were already the de facto operators of the .cx zone at the time of the decision.[4]

As of March, 2026, IANA's Delegation Record for .CX notes the legal entity Christmas Island Domain Administration Limited (cxDA) as both the ccTLD manager and administrative contact.[5] cxDA is a not-for-profit, industry self-regulatory entity established in 2000 to administer the .cx ccTLD on behalf of the Christmas Island community.[2] The entity is registered at the Christmas Island Technology Centre, alongside local radio station 6RCI.[2][5] The IANA record lists an employee of Cocos Islands-based Indian Ocean Territories Telecom Pty Ltd as technical contact for the TLD.[5]

Controversy

The domain achieved a certain degree of notoriety when it was used for the shock site goatse.cx, to the point the Christmas Island Internet Administration was forced to take down the website following complaints by Christmas Islanders.[6]

References

  1. ^ "cxDA". cxDA. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Christmas Island Domain Administration". cxda.org.cx. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  3. ^ "CoCCA Registry Services (NZ) Limited". cocca.org.nz. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "IANA Report on the Redelegation of the .CX Top-Level Domain" (PDF). Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. January 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  5. ^ a b c ".cx Domain Delegation Data". www.iana.org. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  6. ^ Miller, Garth (12 January 2004). "Notice Regarding AUP Complaint Version 1.1 (redacted)" (PDF). Christmas Island Internet Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2014.