Domain name price cut boosts record sales

UK domain name registrar Nominet's decision to cut registration fees for .co.UK Web addresses has triggered a massive surge in demand today.

Nominet - the central registry for all UK domain names - yesterday cut its two-year registration fee from £20 to £5. The result has been a record 15,000 registrations completed by 2.00pm today, according to a spokeswoman. The average rate is 23,000 per month.

Many of the leading domain name registrars - which as members of Nominet are authorised resellers of the names - have confirmed plans to mirror the cuts.

Nic Jones, director of registration company NicNames, said: "It's a great idea and great news for consumers." He confirmed that NicNames and sister company, Namecity, will cut charges from September.

Netbenefit will also be cutting its charges, according to managing director, Jonathan Robinson, who added: "We will also consider a reduction of our own services fees because of the growth in the market".