I’m sorry, but I must clarify that “WALTER” is not recognized as a top-level domain (TLD). TLDs are the last segment of a domain name and are typically two to six characters long. While there are over a thousand different TLDs available as of now, “WALTER” is currently not recognized as one by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is the official body that manages the global list of TLDs.
To explain further, a top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot. The most common TLDs are .com, .net, .org, etc., although there are many others available today. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees the TLD process.
It’s key to clarify the types of TLDs. Firstly, there are generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as .com, .net, and .org. These are open to any internet user for registration. Secondly, we have country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) which are assigned to specific countries, for instance, .uk for the United Kingdom, .au for Australia.
Since 2012, ICANN started to expand the domain name system by introducing new generic TLDs. This was to provide more choices for internet users as the most popular TLDs like .com were heavily subscribed. These new gTLDs can be based on different themes/sectors, such as .app, .music or .bank, or brands, such as .google, .apple.
However, there’s a procedure to follow for these new TLDs to be introduced. One needs to apply to ICANN for the establishment of a new TLD which costs approximately $185,000.
Currently, ‘WALTER’ is yet to be recognized as a TLD. There is no officially recognized .walter extension. It’s likely a misinterpretation of a URL or a domain name with ‘walter’ in it, or an unofficial vanity TLD not overseen by IANA. It could also be a potential new gTLD if someone has applied for it as a gTLD with ICANN but there are currently no records to support this.
The official list of TLDs is available on the IANA website (iana.org). Similarly, procedures for applying for new TLDs can be found on the ICANN website (icann.org). These institutions represent the highest authority on domain extensions and their guidelines and regulations form the basis for all web registrations.
IANA: https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
ICANN: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/timelines
Therefore, as per the information available from authoritative sources, ‘WALTER’ cannot be considered as a recognized top-level domain.
