In a move that’s shaking up the internet’s invisible infrastructure, Colombia has quietly pulled the plug on GoDaddy’s long-standing stewardship of the .CO domain — a digital territory that became a global favorite among startups and tech innovators. After more than a decade of managing what many considered the “cooler cousin” of .COM, GoDaddy is officially out. The future now belongs to a new alliance: Equipo PuntoCo.
This unlikely duo — Germany’s Team Internet and Colombia’s Central Comercializadora de Internet (CCI) — beat out fierce competition in a tense public bidding war hosted by Colombia’s Ministry of ICT. While GoDaddy helped scale the .CO domain to over 3 million registrations, that wasn’t enough to secure another term.
What sealed the deal for Equipo PuntoCo wasn’t just numbers. Their offer to retain just 8% of domain revenue—leaving 92% in Colombia’s pocket—was bold. What truly gave them the edge wasn’t just a stronger financial pitch. It was the heart of their proposal — a clear focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and building something with lasting value. While others, like Identity Digital, offered a bit more money upfront, Colombia chose to take a different route. Instead of chasing fast profits, they placed their bet on a future shaped by long-term vision and national purpose.
Originally, the .CO domain was just a technical label for Colombia. But over time, it grew into much more. It became a go-to choice for innovators and startups around the world — not just because it’s short and easy to remember, but because it felt fresh, bold, and global in its tone. Now, with new hands at the wheel, Colombia hopes to turn that global popularity into something tangible at home. The plan is to channel the revenue back into local priorities like digital infrastructure and better access to education.
For GoDaddy, this chapter comes to a close. For Team Internet and their Colombian partner CCI, it’s a chance to step into the spotlight. And for those of us who simply use the web without thinking much about how it all runs, it’s worth remembering that even the internet — vast and technical as it is — still reflects the choices, values, and visions of the people behind it.
