Transport Ministry has announced that one-digit and two-digit domains will be up for sale soon.

Speaking at a press conference held by Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation on Wednesday, Transport Minister said that at present there are about 1,400 domains in the Maldives, with about 700 unverified domains.

The minister said that previously, there was no robust system for selling domain names within the Ministry of Transport. He also mentioned that the information of many domain names was not visible within the matrix system previously used by the Ministry of Transport.

The minister stated that after separating the invalid domain names, the domain business management system will be strengthened with new software.

"Up till now, three-digit and four-digit domain names have been used. In the new domain system being introduced, we will open up the sale of one-digit or two-digit domain names," the Minister said.

After the press conference, the Minister told 'One' that there will be changes to the starting price of the newly sold domain names, and it will be higher than the current prices. He also mentioned that the domain business is a thriving business in developed countries around the world.

According to the Regulation on the Use of Domain Names in Land Vehicles, the starting price for a motorcycle domain name is MVR 50,000. The starting price for a four-wheeled vehicle is MVR 100,000. It is also stated that the domain names should be sold to the party that offers the highest price in the bidding.

The sale of domain names was halted in August of last year, citing that domain names were being issued in violation of the domain usage regulations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​