Domain is now easier to register — Iceland’s .Is

Namecheap becomes biggest registrar to offer .Is domains.

Country code domain names are an interesting animal. Some registries make it very difficult to register them; others market them heavily through the registrar channel.

One domain that has traditionally been difficult or expensive to register is Iceland’s .IS domain.

There are a few registrars, typically brand protection registrars, that carry them. Prices are usually $80 or more. Or you can create an account directly with the registry to register one.

But now Namecheap, a top five registrar, is offering .Is domains for regarding $40 per year. That’s regarding the same price as going direct.

DomainTools estimates that there are 64,000 registered .Is domains. But with no premiums, there are quite a few good keywords available.

It will be interesting to watch .Is and see if easier registration and a big registrar help build the zone. Taken as the word ‘is’, it’s kind of cool. Of course, there’s also that terrorist group…