Galicia has its own domain on the Internet. The ".gal" identifies us as a community in a global world, makes us visible, generates opportunities and gives us a voice on the web.

The domain is managed by the non-profit association Puntogal, which works with a triple objective: the expansion of the domain, the representation of Galicia in the international forums of the network and the support to initiatives related to ICTs.

The association was established in 2006 with the founding objective of submitting an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to apply for a domain name for the Galician language and culture. During the first few years, Puntogal's main task was to obtain support and present the necessary documentation for the domain application to the public non-profit organisation that manages the allocation of top-level domain names and IP addresses worldwide.

The president of the organisation, Manuel González, explains that Puntogal "is the common space for Galicians on the web, a surname that identifies us. We consider it to be a mark of quality and good work".

As of today, the company has more than 6,700 registered domains and, more importantly, a renewal rate of more than 85%, which proves that they have the trust of the users. Puntogal works with ICANN-accredited registrars. Since 2014 access to a ".gal" domain is free, any person, company or entity that wishes to do so can register a ".gal" domain, complying with the registration policies that can be found at https://dominio.gal/en/how-gal/.

Competitive advantages for companies

The ".gal" domain takes the name of Galicia to the web and allows the Galician language and culture to gain in projection and visibility, and also offers competitive advantages for the Galician business and entrepreneurial network.

• It makes it easier for them to make use of a unique and own brand.
• It better identifies the Galician customer, highlighting the physical and cultural proximity.Permite asociar los productos y servicios gallegos con los valores positivos que ya tiene la Marca Galicia en todo el mundo.
• Search engines are better at finding content on websites.
• It increases the visibility and traffic of Galician-language pages.

In order to obtain a domain name, it is only necessary to apply for it through one of the authorised registrars, which can be accessed at https://dominio.gal/en/registrars/.

Corporate programme

In addition to the integral management of the domain, the Puntogal association has a corporate programme of support, cooperation and sponsorship of activities and initiatives that enhance the value of language, culture and technology in Galicia.

Examples of these actions include the short story competition organised with the Royal Galician Academy, Gaelic football schools, support for content creation in Galician in the field of new technologies or the Spin-Off innovation awards, as well as support for the Oral Heritage of Identity Archive of the Museo do Pobo, among others.

The Spin-off PuntoGal awards were created in partnership with the digital newspaper GCiencia and aim to acknowledge the role of public universities as the driving force behind research in the country. The jury takes into account in its assessment issues such as registered patents, articles published in prestigious journals or participation in multidisciplinary R&D&I projects. In addition, projects led by women or teams where the presence of women is relevant both in number and in hierarchy are highlighted.

They also actively participate in activities that support Galician brands with the Communication Cluster, through the Paraugas Awards, and are part of the Galician ICT Cluster.

They represent our Region in the forums that manage the Internet on an international level, forming part of the GeoTLD Group, of the RySG (which groups registries and registrars), in the meetings and congresses of ICANN itself and as the first Galician company to form part of the Global Cyber Alliance.

Among the activities carried out, there is also a component concerning the spread of information on the use of technologies, for example in the field of cybersecurity, through the Global Cybersecurity Alliance (GCA) and as part of Ciber.gal.