Neustar to continue managing for U.S. country code domain

Published March 7, 2014 by Jessica Sabbath

Sterling-based Neustar Inc. has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue administering the .US Top Level Domain (TLD), the official Internet country code domain of the United States.

Neustar has administered the domain since 2001, when the Department of Commerce selected the company to build and manage it.

The .US domain helps American small businesses and individuals create and expand their online presence.
Neustar manages the domain and oversees the network of registrars who sell the .US domain names. The Department of Commerce has reawarded the contract for three years with two additional one-year extension options.

In 2014, Neustar plans to launch a new multi-stakeholder council connected to the domain, including members representing localities, registrars, small businesses and nonprofit organizations as well as entities involved with STEM education and cybersecurity.

The Department of Commerce contract has no bearing on a separate number portability administrator contract, which accounts for half of Neustar’s revenue.

The company’s stock declined by almost 20 percent in one day in January amid concerns about the future of that contract.

Neustar had announced that a revised bid for a contract starting July 2015 had been rejected by North American Portability Management (NAPM) LLC, the organization that awards the contract. Neustar had submitted an initial proposal last April.

NAPM has not announced a decision on the contract.