The DNS Research Federation (DNSRF) today announces a new premium partnership with Afnic, the French national domain name registry responsible for managing the .fr country code top-level domain (ccTLD). Afnic, a non-profit organization, oversees more than 4 million domains, representing over 40% of all domain names registered in France.

The strategic partnership marks a significant milestone for the DNS Research Federation as it joins forces with Afnic's specialist research and development group, Afnic Labs. Both organisations share a commitment to education and research on the domain name system andexploring the impact of innovative technologies such as blockchain domains on the stability and security of the Internet, and of engaging in technical standards. This collaboration will involve several joint research projects that will drive progress in these critical areas. 

The .fr domain experienced significant growth in recent years, with 801,427 new .fr domain names created in 2023, marking a new all-time high. The .fr domain continues to grow faster than the French market as a whole, gaining market share at the expense of .com names.

Emily Taylor, CEO of the DNS Research Federation commented: “Our partnership with Afnic is a significant milestone for us as an organization. Their expertise and vision align perfectly with our goals of advancing the understanding of the domain name system’s impact on cybersecurity, policy and technical standards. As the European ccTLDs are facing new challenges with regulation, this collaboration will leverage shared knowledge and resourcesfor the benefits of the entire domain name sector. We hope that where one European ccTLD leads, others will follow, and that this partnership will pave the way for further collaborations across Europe and beyond. Collaborations with other not-for-profit organisations such as Afnic, with its decades of service to the French Internet community, is an important step in the right direction”

Pierre Bonis, CEO at Afnic added: “The rapid growth of the .fr domain in recent years is a clear indicator of the increasing trust and reliance on our digital infrastructure. However, this growth has also outpaced the development of safety policies, underscoring the need for collaborative efforts to ensure a secure and accessible internet for everyone. Our partnership with DNS Research Federation exemplifies this commitment, aiming to create a safer, more usable internet for present and future generations.”

The collaboration with Afnic is the latest in a string of partnerships the DNSRF has made, with others including the Australian domain name authority auDA, Motion Picture Association of America, and the Public Interest Registry.

For more information on DNS Research Federation or to request interviews with Emily Taylor, contact:

elephant communications

Guy Bellamy / Jim Follett / Rebecca Ellis-Owen - elephant communications 

07766 775216 / 07908 551571

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Notes to editor:

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About the DNS Research Federation:

The first organisation of its kind, The DNS Research Federation is a not-for-profit organisation that sits at the intersection of policy and technology. With a mission to advance the understanding of the Domain Name System's impact on cybersecurity, policy and technical standards, the Federation funds research, engages in technical standards, and brings technical tools and objective data relating to the internet's unique identifier systems - especially the DNS - to researchers, public safety and industry stakeholders. 

Exploring the linkages between traditional internet governance, the strategic importance of technical standards, and contemporary policy challenges, the DNS Research Federation connects up islands of scholarship and communities of expertise. The Federation gives a voice to the data and is inviting collaboration and partnership from key stakeholders from all aspects of the DNS ecosystem to participate as partners and supporters.

About Afnic:

Afnic is the acronym for Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, the French Network Information Centre. The registry has been appointed by the French government to manage domain names under the .fr Top Level Domain. Afnic also manages the .re (Reunion Island), .pm (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), .tf (French Southern and Antarctic Territories), .wf (Wallis and Futuna) and .yt (Mayotte) French Overseas TLDs.

In addition to managing French TLDs, Afnic’s role is part of a wider public interest mission, which is to contribute on a daily basis, thanks to the efforts of its teams and its members, to a secure and stable internet, open to innovation and in which the French internet community plays a leading role. As part of that mission, Afnic, a non-profit organization, has committed to devoting 11% of its Revenues from managing .fr Top Level Domain to actions of general interest, in particular by transferring €1.3 million each year to the Afnic Foundation for Digital Solidarity.

Afnic is also the back-end registry for the companies as well as local and regional authorities that have chosen to have their own TLD, such as .paris, .bzh, .alsace, .corsica, .mma, .ovh, .leclerc and .sncf.

Established in 1997 and based in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Afnic currently has nearly 90 employees.

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