In 1990, engineer Luis R. Furlán, acting as director of the Center for Studies in Applied Informatics (CEIA) of the Research Institute at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), began searching for a more efficient and economical way to maintain contact with his fellow researchers abroad. At that time, traditional forms of communication were:

• telephony
• telegrams
• facsimiles

These forms did not fully satisfy the sought criteria of efficiency and low cost, particularly the latter. To do research, it is necessary to maintain a constant flow of communication, exchange of ideas, data, and results.

During a conversation, engineer Theodore Hope, a former student of engineer Furlán, suggested to his teacher the possibility of connecting UVG to the emerging (by then in Latin America) Internet network, channeled through a project he led from Costa Rica called Project Huracán. This plan allowed members of educational institutions in Costa Rica to connect to the Internet via the Unix to Unix Copy (UUCP) protocol, through the telephone system using modems to connect computers.

Thus, in 1990, using his desktop computer (286 processor, 30 Mbytes hard drive, and 640 Kbytes of memory), a 9.6 kbps modem, and a Coherent operating system (for US$ 50), engineer Furlán established the first Internet connection from Guatemala. The number of users grew rapidly, and the decision was made that the UVG node (domain) should have its own name.

Engineer Hope requested Dr. John Postel of the University of Southern California (from where the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, IANA, which was in charge of assigning domain names for the entire Internet, was operated) to assign the domain name: uvg.edu to Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Postel replied by asking if, since Universidad del Valle de Guatemala was the first institution to connect to the internet, it wouldn't like to be the managing entity for the country code top-level domain (ccTLD), referring to: .gt. Here it should be remembered that in the early 90s, the Internet was purely scientific/academic, and the standard procedure was for a university to manage the top-level domain names, especially outside the USA.

When asking Dr. Postel about the responsibilities and obligations of being the managing entity of a ccTLD, Dr. Postel replied that only two conditions had to be met:

1. Ensure that there were no duplicate domain names within the ccTLD.
2. Guarantee impartiality in the delegation of domain names under that ccTLD.

For UVG, these conditions were easy to meet. On the one hand, any database management system automatically prevents the duplication of names, and on the other, the University, being a non-profit, apolitical, and secular institution, could guarantee impartiality in name delegation.

This is how in 1992 IANA granted UVG custody to manage the Internet space corresponding to the .gt ccTLD. It is important to note that all communications were done via email, and there was never a formal document involved. That was the way of the Internet, especially in a research and development environment, where relationships were among colleagues under the premise of a "gentleman's agreement," rather than formal documents.

The policy adopted to distribute the .gt ccTLD space was to use as subdomains the same generic domains used in the United States, namely:

• .com.gt - for commercial entities.
• .org.gt - mainly for NGOs, international organizations, and others.
• .net.gt - for entities that contribute to network infrastructure.
• .edu.gt - for educational institutions recognized by the Ministry of Education and, in the case of higher education, recognized by the Private Higher Education Council (CEPS).
• .gob.gt - for dependencies of the Government of Guatemala.
• .mil.gt - for entities of the Guatemalan Armed Forces.

It was also decided to open a subdomain, thinking it would be highly requested by individuals wanting their own domain name:

• .ind.gt - individuals

It should be added that the subdomains:

• .edu.gt
• .gob.gt
• .mil.gt

Are restricted, and only institutions that present reliable documentation of belonging to these sectors can opt for them.

The subdomains:

• .com.gt
• .org.gt

Are open access, and any institution/organization can register a name under them.

The case of .net.gt is special, as the original intention was for it to be used uniquely by entities dedicated to contributing to network infrastructure. However, during the time the DNS server was at the National Council for Science and Technology (CONCyT), there was some confusion, and names were granted under this subdomain without restrictions. Not wanting to look bad to anyone, it was decided to completely free this subdomain, and today anyone can register a name under it.

From 1992 until December 1995, the only institution with a name under the new .gt ccTLD was Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. The assigned domain name was uvg.edu.gt. The DNS server operation was carried out from UUNet in Virginia, USA, because at that time the Guatemalan Telecommunications Company (GUATEL) did not have the capacity to connect UVG with a dedicated link.

In parallel, with the creation of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONCyT) in 1991 and its National Commission for Information and Informatics, the MayaNet project emerged, proposing the creation of a national scientific/academic network. It wasn't until December 1995 that GUATEL gave its approval (as it was a telecommunications monopoly back then), formally launching the internet in Guatemala at both academic and commercial levels.

With national coverage operational, it was considered necessary to install the primary DNS for the .gt ccTLD in Guatemala. It was logical to have it at UVG, but as mentioned, the GUATEL telephone exchange in Vista Hermosa could not provide UVG with a dedicated link. Thus, it was decided the .gt ccTLD DNS server would be installed at the CONCyT headquarters, which was only a block away from the GUATEL exchange at the time. The main responsibility for DNS operation was always held by UVG, but it was physically located at CONCyT.

In 2000, once UVG had a robust, dedicated link, it was decided to move the DNS operation to its central campus to handle everything from there. This operation is entirely managed at the UVG central campus today.

As mentioned, the entire process of delegating the ccTLD to UVG was done via simple email messages. With the internet boom, its globalization, and commercialization, the need for a more formal relationship with ICANN became evident. Thus, in 2006, ICANN and UVG signed a framework agreement in which ICANN formally recognized the 1992 delegation to UVG, and Universidad del Valle de Guatemala accepted operating under ICANN's norms and policies.

Thus, in 2006, ICANN and UVG signed a framework agreement in which ICANN formally recognized the delegation made in 1992 to UVG, and the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala agreed to operate under ICANN's rules and policies.

The Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, as administrator of the ccTLD .gt, is thus an active member of the Latin American and Caribbean Top Level Domain Name Administrators Organization (LACTLD) and ICANN's Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO).