.ma

Infobox Top level domain
name=.ma domain registration
background=#CCF


introduced=1993
type=Country code top-level domain
status=Active
registry=Maroc Telecom
sponsor=Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications
intendeduse=Entities connected with Morocco
actualuse=Popular in Morocco
restrictions=Must have a local contact
structure=Registrations are made directly at the second level or at third level beneath second-level categories
document= [http://www.anrt.ma/fr/admin/download/upload/file_fr782.pdf Charter]
disputepolicy= [http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/ma/index.html]
website= [http://www.nic.ma/ nic.ma] |

.ma is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Morocco. A local registrar with a local Moroccan company as administrative contact is needed to register an .ma or .co.ma domain name. Further restrictions are imposed on the registering of other second-level domains (such as .net.ma or.gov.ma).

Morocco has also attempted to claim .eh, the country code for the disputed Western Sahara, with the result that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has refused to delegate .eh to anyone.

Moroccan ANRT never claimed any right to use .eh for any territory, because the western sahara uses the ext .ma as the mensioned territory belong to Morocco and administrated by Morocco, the Western Sahara issue against the separatists group is in the UN supervision to find a political solution.

History

In 2003, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) approved a request for delegation of the .ma ccTLD for administrative and technical contact to Ecole Mohammadia d'Ingenieurs.

In 1995 the technical management of the .ma domain was taken over by Maroc Telecom, which as of 2008(?) is still the technical maintainer.

On 12 May 2006 IANA redesignated the administrative and technical contact for the domain, and made ANRT the only official registrar for the .ma ccTLD. [cite web|url=http://www.iana.org/reports/ma-report-24jul2006.html|title=IANA Report on the Redelegation of the .MA Top-Level Domainaccessdate=2008-05-03]

Within some years the ANRT will request the market to bid on a "Technical maintainer" license which is valid for five years. The new party will get 12 months to implement a provisioning system based on EPP. It is not expected that before 2010 the provisioning of .ma domains can be made completely automatic.

Practical information

*Total hosts of .ma: 137,187 (2007) [cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html#Comm |title=Statistiques |publisher=CIA |accessdate=2008-10-03]

*Total internet users in Morocco: 7.300.000 (2006) [cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html#Comm |title=The World Factbook – Morocco |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |accessdate=2008-10-03]

*Total ADSL connection in Morocco: 550.000 (2007) [cite web |url=http://www.anrt.ma/fr/admin/download/upload/file_fr1392.pdf |title=ANALYSE DE L’EVOLUTION DU SECTEUR DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS POUR L’ANNEE 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-03]

econd-level domains

Registration can be done directly at the second level, or at the third level beneath these names:

* .ma: General use
* net.ma: Internet providers
* ac.ma: educational institutions
* org.ma: organizations
* gov.ma: governmental entities
* press.ma: the press and publications
* co.ma: commercial entities

References

External links

* [http://www.iana.org/root-whois/ma.htm IANA .ma whois information]