What is .phone?
ICANN's records put the delegation of .phone on December 20, 2016. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on June 2, 2016.
Dish DBS Corporation also runs 9 other TLDs, including .blockbuster, .data, .dish, .dot and .dtv.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 4 name servers for .phone, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .phone haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP and WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.phone).
Same registry, other endings
9 other TLDs share this operator.
.phone FAQ
What does .phone mean?
.phone is a generic top-level domain named for the word "phone", and it's aimed at tech & startups. It doesn't belong to any country.
What is .phone used for?
.phone is mostly used for tech & startups. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .phone?
None. .phone is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .phone domain extension?
Dish DBS Corporation operates .phone as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .phone created?
.phone was delegated to the DNS root zone on December 20, 2016.
Is .phone a valid domain?
Yes. .phone is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2016, so .phone addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .phone domain?
.phone names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Dish DBS Corporation's policy if you're unsure.
Is .phone DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .phone.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed December 12, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
