.GG and .JE celebrate two decades of service to the local community


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August 2016 marks 20 years since the first domain names identifying the Channel Islands appeared on the Internet, which was then still very
much in its infancy.

This August, 2016, CHANNELISLES.NET, the country code registry operator for the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the introduction of .GG and ,JE domain names for local businesses and organisations.

The introduction of separate country codes has had a remarkable impact on the visibility of the the Channel Islands to the outside world as
distinct economies and jurisdictions, separate from Great Britain. Some years after the creation of .GG and .JE as internet codes in August 1996 by CHANNELISLES.NET, the United Nations decided to adop them officially. (They had previously been included with the UK under 'GB'). This meant Guernsey and Jersey now appear in drop-down lists on internet sites as an option for 'country'.

In addition it has meant that in many cases, e-commerce retailers selling goods into the Islands can automatically deduct the VAT that would otherwise have been charged and which was usually unrecoverable - a tangible benefit for local consumers.

As the Internet has evolved and grown, so has the local domain. .GG and .JE addresses are now the first and best choice for making your local brand and identity.

Users of .GG and JE domains range from local to global, such as the States of Guernsey whose registration of GOV.GG and GOV.JE was among the very first local domain names in 1996, and Google who set up up GOOGLE.GG and GOOGLE.JE for the Channel Islands in 2003.

Founding Director Nigel Roberts FRSA said today:

".GG and .JE are more than just an internet address - they have become a local brand for the Channel Island".


The States of Alderney's Chairman of Policy and Finance, Robert McDowell commented:

"I would like to congratulate CHANNELISLES.NET on their twentieth anniversary. This demonstrates that Alderney is a premier location for businesses which create value and manage intellectual property in the form or technology and communication services and applications."

NOTES TO EDITORS

Background

CHANNELISLES.NET:

- was Alderney's first Internet company, founded in 1996
- created .GG & .JE domain names for local identity on the internet
- has run the Channel Islands' Internet Registry for 20 years
- provides much needed local employment in Alderney
- is widely respected world-wide for innovation and knowledge
- has been selected by the American Samoan registry to operate their domain name system (.AS)
- is a successful export earner
- has made it possible for internet service providers to easily register domain names in seconds, at low cost, 24/7

Since 1998 its Founding Director, Nigel Roberts FRSA has also played a major part in the international organisation (ICANN) that runs the domain name system. He is currently one of three elected representatives for Europe on the Country Code (ccNSO) Council.

About the organisation

Domain names can be registered directly with CHANNELISLES.NET, or through any of a number of hosting companies and domain name providers.

Founded in August 1996 by two former employees of DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION (which was the world leader in computer networking in the late 20th century) CHANNELISLES.NET operates the local registry for .GG and .JE domain names

CHANNELISLES.NET implemented a state of the art 'shared registry system' in 2010 - as a result the domain anme registration process is fast and efficient . Accredited registrars (of which there are 21 in the Channel Islands alone, and over 60 worldwide) can complete the process of registering a domain name in seconds, just like registering a .com or .uk

In addition, the wholesale price for domains registered through local Island-based registrars hasrecently been cut by 50% in recognition of the success of the domains.