This article will address the topic of .gb, which has gained relevance in various areas in recent years. Since its emergence, .gb has captured the attention of academics, experts and the general public, generating controversy and debate around its implications and consequences. Throughout the next lines, different perspectives and approaches related to .gb, as well as its impact on society, economy and culture, will be explored. Through a detailed and rigorous analysis, the aim is to shed light on this topic and contribute to the understanding and reflection on .gb.
Reserved Internet country-code top level domain for the United Kingdom
The domain was introduced with RFC 920 in October 1984 that set out the creation of ccTLD generally using country codes derived from the corresponding two-letter code in the ISO 3166-1 list. However, the .uk domain had been created separately a few months before the compilation of this list. Consequently, .gb was never widely used. It is no longer possible to register under this domain.
.gb was used for a number of years, mainly by British government organisations and commercial e-mail services using X.400-based e-mail infrastructure. This simplified translating between DNS domains and X.400 addresses, which used "GB" as a country code.
With the demise of X.400 e-mail and IANA's general aim of one TLD per country, use of .gb declined; the domain remains in existence, but it is not currently open to new domain registrations.
As of November 2022, Central Digital and Data Office's (see Cabinet Office) intention is to inform ICANN early in 2023 that the UK wishes to retire .gb.