As of the time of writing this response, there is no official top-level domain (TLD) with the suffix ‘.bcn’. A top-level domain is the last segment of a domain name, the letters immediately following the last (rightmost) dot. Examples include .com, .org, .net, .gov, .edu and so on.
The IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), which is a part of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), is responsible for overseeing and managing the domain name system. The organization has established around 1,500 top-level domains, and these can be categorized into three types: generic TLDs (like .com, .org), country-code TLDs (like .us, .uk), and infrastructure TLD (.arpa). Both IANA TLD Database and ICANN’s TLD page provide comprehensive lists, but ‘.bcn’ does not appear.
The .bcn domain suffix might be assumed to be related to Barcelona (a notable city-based TLD being .nyc for New York City), but as per the IANA and ICANN databases, there is no ‘.bcn’ TLD assigned for Barcelona or any other city or organization. The TLD representing Spain is ‘.es’, and there is a ‘.cat’ TLD for websites that aim to promote the Catalan language and culture, often used in the Barcelona region.
Having said that, it’s important to understand that new TLDs can be created. ICANN launched the New gTLD Program in 2012, aiming to enhance competition, innovation, and consumer choice. Since the launch of new gTLDs, hundreds of new TLDs have been introduced to the Internet. This means that ‘.bcn’, or any other new TLD, could potentially be introduced in the future if it goes through ICANN’s new gTLD approval process.
In conclusion, while the ‘.bcn’ TLD does not currently exist as per IANA and ICANN databases, ICANN’s new gTLD program could potentially allow for its creation in the future.
Sources Used:
1. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). “Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD)”. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/gtlds-2012-02-25-en
1. IANA. “Root Zone Database.” https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db
1. ICANN. “New gTLD Program.” https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/
1. IANA. “Delegation Record for .CAT.” https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/cat.html
1. IANA. “Delegation Record for .ES.” https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/es.html
