This year marks a significant date for the .barcelona domain: ten years since its internet launch. The first step in the process was the Sunrise, the initial period reserved for registering domains before opening publicly.

The Sunrise began on 12 January 2016 and continued until 15 March that year. This period allowed people, institutions, organisation and companies to secure their domain names before opening up to the general public.

Established by the ICANN for new generic domains (gTLD), this mechanism was aimed at guaranteeing an orderly launch and giving priority to registered brands.

First step for Barcelona’s domain

The Sunrise marked the start of the domain promoted by Barcelona City Council to give the city its own digital identity on the internet.

The figures that marked the Sunrise were very positive: 1,356 domains were registered, 42% of them corresponding to companies and 18% to public administrations.

Once this period ended, on 21 March 2016, the first domains to be registered during theses stages were activated and the network became operative. From that point on, the domain opened to the public register and any person or project linked to Barcelona was able to register their .barcelona.

During the first day that the register opened, on 21 March 2016, some 1,782 domains were registered.

Ten years building digital identity

Since its launch, the .barcelona domain has become firmly established as a tool for strengthening the city’s digital identity.

Companies, cultural projects, local initiatives and people linked to Barcelona have used this extension to identify themselves with the city and give their project internet visibility.

Ten years on, the Sunrise period that set .barcelona on its path forms part of the history of the domain and its growth. This initial step allowed Barcelona and its community to build its own digital space.