Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the last segment of a domain name – the letters immediately following the final dot of a URL. There are hundreds of TLDs, but the most common include .com, .edu, .gov, .net, .org. There is no specific TLD named “.ABC” officially recognized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which maintains a list of valid TLDs.
From a theoretical standpoint, if existing, ‘.ABC’ would be the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. All domain names underneath the TLD ‘.ABC’ would be regulated by a registry, which could be a designated organization or institution that is recognized and authorized by ICANN to manage the assignment of domains under the ‘.ABC’ TLD.
ICANN is a non-profit organization that coordinates the Internet’s global domain name system. ICANN has been at the forefront in expanding the domain name system and has helped to add hundreds of top-level domains over the years. Their “New Generic Top-Level Domain Program” has been one of the key initiatives, enabling the introduction of new TLDs into the root zone of the DNS.
TLDs can be grouped into two main categories: generic TLDs (gTLD) and country-code TLDs (ccTLD). The former encompasses highly recognized domains such as .com, .net, .org, while the latter includes country-specific domains like .us (United States), .fr (France), .au (Australia). Additionally, specialty TLDs like .museum, .aero, .coop are designed for specific communities.
Assuming you could introduce ‘.ABC’, it would most likely fall into the category of gTLDs, assuming it’s not linked to a specific country. It would need to go through ICANN’s application process for new gTLDs, which includes submitting an application, going through initial evaluation, potential objections or contentions, transitioning to delegation before finally introducing the new gTLD into the root zone of the DNS.
However, introducing a new TLD isn’t an easy process. According to ICANN, new gTLD applications require detailed proposals and an application fee of $185,000.
This information has been sourced from valid and reliable sources such as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) which regulates domain names on the internet and their official web resource page was referred to formulate this answer.
Sources:
1. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). “Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD)”. icann.org. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
2. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). “New Generic Top-Level Domain Program”. icann.org. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
