Did you know that Tanzania’s internet journey began with three professors and a dream? The .tz domain has been a big part of it, laying the foundation for Tanzania’s digital identity. 

Today, every .co.tz business, .go.tz government site, and .ac.tz university link traces back to those early days when the history of .tz domains was established. 

Want to know where it all began? This article highlights the key moments in the history of  .tz domains and elaborates on how Tanzania’s online presence grew from zero to thousands of websites. 

History of .tz Domains (the beginning)

The history of .tz domains began in the early 1990s, during which internet pioneers and international experts made key decisions. 

According to the TZ country code report by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), the formation of .tz domains began when three professors attended the Internet Society (ISOC) meetings in the USA (1993) and the Czech Republic (1994).

The three Tanzanian professors were: 

• Prof. Beda Mutagahwa
• Bill Sangiwa
• Kitalima Mabula

The pioneer meetings involved discussions with key internet persons, such as Randy Bush, an internet pioneer who played a key role in introducing internet connectivity in developing countries. 

Randy Bush’s association with ISOC, IETF, NSRC, and RGnet/PSGnet LLC enabled the three Tanzanian professors to secure Tanzania’s country code TLD.

The formation of the .tz domain followed the requirements of ISO-3166 standards, which align with IANA and ICANN’s global domain policies. 

In addition, the structure and management of .tz were based on RFC 1591, which outlines best practices for domain administration.

The Setup and Management of .tz

Tanzania did not have full internet connectivity during the establishment of the .tz domain. Hence, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) took the lead in managing the domain. 

Prof. Beda Mutagahwa was the administrative contact, and Randy Bush was the technical contact. The domain’s root servers were hosted externally at PSG (Primary) and RIPE (Secondary) to ensure stability.

Second Level .tz Domain

During the establishment of .tz domains, the structure of the operational second-level domain included:

.tz domain	Purpose
(name).ac.tz	Academic institutions
(name).co.tz	Businesses
(name).go.tz	Government entities
(name).mil.tz	Military institutions
(name).ne.tz	Network providers
(name).or.tz	Charity organizations

Early Domain Registration Trends and Growth

According to the TCRA TZ country code report, Tanzania gained full internet access in July 1996, with CyberTwiga becoming the first commercial ISP. A month later, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) went online, marking a fresh mark in the history of .tz domains.

Here’s a table representation of the trends and growth of the .tz from 1997 to 2005

Year	.co.tz	.or.tz	.ac.tz	.go.tz	.ne.tz	.mil.tz	Total
1997	5	2	4	3	1	0	15
1998	56	3	7	29	1	1	97
1999	144	7	12	37	1	1	202
2000	196	9	16	56	1	1	279
2001	294	49	22	70	1	1	437
2002	534	92	34	90	4	1	755
2003	760	154	40	98	4	1	1057
2004	1080	224	58	113	10	1	1487
2005	1228	268	66	128	10	3	1703
2006	1683	355	97	180	15	4	2276

The early years laid the groundwork for Tanzania’s digital economy, with .co.tz driving commercialisation. 

Other SLDs grew significantly; however, reliance on foreign infrastructure and fragmented policies called for reforms. These issues were addressed later via tzNIC’s centralized management after 2010.

The data represents how .tz domains mirrored Tanzania’s internet journey. It shows the slow starts, rapid business adoption, and untapped potential in sectors like education and defence.

History of .tz Domains; Technical Infrastructure Improvements

Tanzania had no stable internet connection; therefore, Randy Bush hosted the .tz domain’s primary name server (rip.psg.com). RIPE NCC managed the secondary server (ns.ripe.net) in Europe.

The arrangement ensured reliability despite the technical limitations. With time, Tanzanian institutions like UDSM, CyberNet, and government agencies began hosting SLD servers locally. 

Furthermore, plans were also made to integrate Public Interest Registry (PIR) root servers for better stability.

Modernization Efforts

Due to the expansion of the internet, there was a need for better management and transparency in .tz domain administration. Some of the recommendations in efforts to modernize the .tz domain at the time include:  

1. Establishment of automated registration systems for faster domain processing.
2. Formation of local root servers to reduce dependency on foreign hosting.
3. Establishment of a WHOIS directory for public domain ownership records.
4. Clearer policies to prevent misuse and disputes.
5. Cost-recovery mechanisms to sustain domain operations.

The History of tzNIC

TzNIC is the Tanzania Network Information Centre, which manages the .tz domain. 

TzNIC was formed in 2006 and became the ccTLD registry for .tz domains. The founding body of TzNIC is TCRA, ensuring the proper management of Tanzania’s online identity.

Initially, TzNIC operated under the University of Dar Es Salaam, relying on its expertise and infrastructure to execute tasks. 

Over time, the TzNIC became independent, operating autonomously to make .tz domain decisions for the benefit of the online community through executing roles such as:

1. Managing the .tz domain registry  and overseeing domain registrations
2. Accrediting the .tz domain registrar to register .tz domains on their behalf
3. Managing the .tz domain central database
4. Publishing accurate information regarding the .tz domain
5. Technical administration of the .tz domain

.tz Domain Registration

The history of .tz domains has evolved to make it easy to acquire a Tanzanian website in easy steps. If you want to register a .tz domain, here are the steps to follow:

1. The first thing you need is to choose a suitable domain extension, depending on the purpose of your brand
2. Secondly, you need an accredited .tz domain registrar to proceed with the registration
3. After finding your preferred domain registrar, proceed to check domain availability via their search tool
4. If the domain is available for registration, follow the process and provide real information during registration, and proceed to pay
5. Once you get the email to confirm the registration, you can set up your new domain.

Conclusion

The growth of the .tz domain, from registration to management and administration, has been evident since the early 1990s. 

The .tz domain has been a key pillar supporting businesses, organizations, and government bodies. Improvements in the .tz domain infrastructure and management have made it more reliable, impacting Tanzania’s growth online.