The first .EUS domain turns 10 years old

  • At the presentation event of the celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the .EUS domain, 10 individuals from different age groups and fields discussed the influence of .EUS on the Basque Internet. 
  • The .EUS domain represents the digital expression of 15,000 businesses, institutions, projects, and individuals. 
  • New campaign: ‘Are we turning 10? Domains for 10€ and dot (eus).’

Today, April 15, marks the 10th anniversary since the publication of the first .EUS website: domeinuak.eus. Other significant milestones for the same year, 2015, include the incorporation of the first 92 .EUS pioneers on June 28, 2014, followed by another 1.292 .EUS activated on December 3.

PUNTUEUS has chosen this special day to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the .EUS domain. The EITB headquarters in Bilbao has been the selected meeting point, with the participation of 10 individuals from different ages and fields. Oihane Mateos, head of current affairs at eitb.eus, has moderated the panel discussion “10 YEARS AND DOT (EUS).”

PUNTUEUS President, Iñaki Goirizelaia, explained that before the creation of .EUS, there were projects and initiatives, but it couldn’t be said that there was a Basque Internet, we had to make it happen. We knew we had to do something, that we didn’t have a place on the Internet, and that Basque identity had to have the place it needed on the Internet.’

It was years of hard work, but soon we discovered it was a good decision. Now we are clear that we had to make that decision. Otherwise, how would the Internet be today without .EUS?’

Josu Waliño, CEO of PUNTUEUS, praised the continuous growth of .EUS: “We are almost 15,000 in .EUS. .EUS represents the digital expression of nearly 15,000 businesses, institutions, projects, and individuals. We are the domain for those who have chosen a cyber-secure and Basque digital environment, and every year we are growing. Because we are in the midst of digital transformation, we have the latest technology, and we feel a strong sense of community and participation. We are the first choice for many new businesses and entrepreneurial projects.”

Furthermore, the latest measurement conducted in 2023 shows that 15% of the websites on the Internet in Euskal Herria are in Basque, as 70% of .EUS websites are in Basque. Therefore, in this diversity of the Internet, Basque and the Basque community have gained a specific place. The .EUS domain is a tool for a better Basque digital society: it integrates with Basque, reinforces security, and promotes inclusion.”

At the same time, Nacho Amadoz, representative of the international domain community, emphasized that the .EUS domain is an example worldwide, ‘both for its influence on its community and for its social acceptance, its responsible management model, and its contribution to the creation of necessary tools for living in Basque on the Internet.’

Whether it’s been 10 years or a few, many things have happened on the Internet, and new generations have arrived. Today’s new Internet professionals were children when the first .EUS domains were integrated into the network. June Ibarloza, a student from the first batch of the Artificial Intelligence degree program at UPV/EHU, commented: ‘I have always known the Internet with .EUS.’ She sees the potential for significant progress in a short time: ‘In artificial intelligence, until recently, we have worked at a very global level and in English, and we are normalizing the use of Basque. I believe we will continue to expand our presence.’

Are we turning 10? Domains for 10€ and dot (eus).

The 10th anniversary is an important milestone for the entire community, and PUNTUEUS will launch a celebratory campaign. Lorea Arakistain, PUNTUEUS’s marketing director, presented the campaign’s objectives: ‘The important thing is that this anniversary is celebrated with the entire society. It is also an exercise in community openness: we are developing a broad and diverse community. And we will take advantage of this opportunity to explain the unique values of the .EUS domain, everything that the .EUS domain offers to a user.’

The domain has created a special offer for this milestone anniversary: ‘Are we turning 10? Domain for 10€ and dot (eus).’ To achieve this, they have played with a key element of the .EUS brand by incorporating the dot into the message itself. During the campaign, from today until December 31, 2024, .EUS domains can be registered for 10 euros.

But the anniversary has only just begun. From today until the end of the year, various initiatives will be developed for .EUS, for all those who join .EUS and with the participation of everyone.