The top-level domain (TLD) .TW is the internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Taiwan. Similarly, other countries have their unique cTLDs that represent them on the internet, such as .us for the United States, .jp for Japan, etc.
Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) is responsible for its management and administration. According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the official organization for maintaining the global DNS root zone and ensures that each TLD is unique and correctly mapped to the correct IP address, recognizes TWNIC as the sponsoring organization for the .tw domain.
Within the .tw domain, registrations are also allowed at the second level. However, there are also various categories of .tw third-level domains available for registration by different types of entities and individuals. These include: .com.tw for commercial entities, .org.tw for non-profit organizations, .net.tw for network or internet service providers, .edu.tw for educational institutions, and .gov.tw for governmental entities.
The .tw domain has been used by numerous Taiwanese, international brands, and organizations to represent their affiliations with Taiwan. For instance, “yahoo.com.tw” and “google.com.tw” are some of the famously recognized websites using the .tw domain to provide localized content and services for Taiwan.
According to the data provided by Statista, as of August 2021, the TLD .tw was the 34th most popular top-level domain name, hosting over 498,000 domains. Compared to other ccTLDs, .tw is highly recognized and popular due to Taiwan’s technological advancements and significant role in the global tech industry.
In terms of registration rules and policies, TWNIC requires that any registrant agrees to abide by its Domain Name Registration Agreement. As part of the agreement, the registrant acknowledges that the registration or use of a .tw domain name may be subject to suspension, cancellation, or transfer in certain circumstances, for example, to correct mistakes made by TWNIC or in resolution of disputes among parties.
Furthermore, registrants from outside Taiwan can also register a .tw domain. According to an announcement by TWNIC in 2019, the restriction on oversea companies without the presence in Taiwan to register a .tw domain was lifted, enabling more global entities to mark their presence in Taiwan via a .tw domain.
References:
1. IANA Root Zone Database (https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt)
2. TWNIC Taiwan Network Information Center (https://www.twnic.net/english/dn/dn\_02.htm)
3. Statista (https://www.statista.com/statistics/265677/number-of-internet-top-level-domains-worldwide/)
4. Announcement by TWNIC in 2019 (https://blog.101domain.com/domain-tips/tw-domain-release)
