750,000th registration marks major milestone for Canadian web presence

Internet domain name registrations bearing the distinctive Canadian dot-ca Internet country code Top Level Domain continue to climb at a record pace. The 750,000th dot-ca registration was recorded this week by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), marking a 50% rise in the number of dot-ca registrations in under two years.

"The phenomenal growth of dot-ca registrations is the result of increased awareness of the value of dot-ca and the trust Canadians place in it," says Bernard Turcotte, President and CEO of the Ottawa-based Canadian Internet Registration Authority. "Dot-ca still offers the best opportunity to get the domain name you want when compared with the larger dot-com registry."

"Dot-ca is reserved for Canadians and defines an organization or individual who meets Canadian presence requirements," explains Mr. Turcotte.

Phenomenal growth
Dot-ca domain names became widely available to individuals and organizations in December 2000 when CIRA began managing the dot-ca registry. What began as a 60,000 name registry has since grown exponentially. By 2003, dot-ca registrations reached the 250,000 plateau. In March 2005, CIRA had recorded 500,000 registrations.

Details of the Canadian presence requirements for dot-ca registration and how to register a new dot-ca domain name are available on the CIRA website at www.cira.ca.

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is a not-for-profit Canadian corporation that is responsible for operating the dot-ca Internet country code Top Level Domain as a key public resource for all Canadians. Earlier this year, CIRA approved a number of initiatives to protect the privacy of Canadians and to amend the organization's dispute resolution policy.

For further information: Lynn Gravel, Manager, Corporate Affairs, (613)
237-5335 or 877-860-1411, ext. 224, lynn.gravel@cira.ca