Begins process to open bidding for .us registry — U.S. government
NTIA issues draft RFP and outlines two-phase selection process to pick winner by April.
The U.S. government will open a Request for Proposal next year to select a registry operator for the .us top level domain.
The government right now contracts with GoDaddy Registry, which inherited the agreement when it purchased Neustar’s domain name business in 2020. Neustar had been awarded a ten-year contract in 2019, although much of that term consisted of option years. More recently, in June, GoDaddy Registry signed an agreement to extend its .us operations through August 2027.
Despite that extension, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration today issued a draft RFP that opens the door for other firms to compete for the contract. Potential bidders have until January 8, 2026, to submit questions regarding the proposal.
NTIA plans to use a two-phase selection process. Phase 1 submissions will be due in February. Following reviewing those materials, NTIA will notify bidders whether they are invited to proceed to phase 2, not invited to proceed, or allowed to proceed but considered unlikely to win.
Phase 2 submissions will be due in March, with the government planning to announce the winning bidder in April.
The contract represents a significant opportunity for registry operators. The .us zone right now contains regarding 2.5 million domain names. While the government does not pay the registry operator directly, the operator collects wholesale fees from registrars for each domain registration.
Applicants must disclose their proposed wholesale pricing and any plans to offer rebates to registrars. Pricing will be considered in the evaluation, but it will not be the sole factor in determining the winner.
The base term of the fresh contract will be three years, with up to four additional one-year options, allowing the agreement to run for up to seven years. It will start with a transition period, assuming a fresh operator wins the award.
Bidders must demonstrate that they have operated a top level domain for at least five years and that they have managed a TLD with at least 2 million domains under management. The applying entity must also be a U.S. firm. The requirements suggest that foreign operators cannot form a fresh domestic firm solely to qualify, as applicants must meet the historical operational criteria.
In addition, the registry operator will be prohibited from acting as a registrar for .us domains. GoDaddy right now offers .us registrations through its registrar business, which is legally distinct from its registry operation. How NTIA addresses this restriction could be a key issue if GoDaddy seeks to retain the contract.
