Dear all,

On 28 September ICANN published the findings from the study "Phase 1 Assessment of the Competitive Effects Associated with the new gTLD Program". This study is intended to set a baseline for measuring competition in the domain name marketplace to be compared against changes that may be found a year later. The full report can be found at: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/reviews/cct/competitive-effects-phase-one-assessment-28sep15-en.pdf.

The study was conducted by Analysis Group, which was retained by ICANN, and is in response to three recommended metrics that the ICANN Board has adopted for inclusion in the competition, consumer choice and consumer trust review of the New gTLDProgram, as mandated by the Affirmation of Commitments. The complete announcement on the report can be found at: https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-09-28-en

ICANN also invites public comment on the report (see: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/competitive-effects-assessment-2015-09-28-en). The comments will be used to guide Phase 2, which will be conducted in approximately a year's time to determine if there are changes or trends in the marketplace.That assessment will further consider how the New gTLDProgram has impacted competition in the DNS.

Kind regards,

Bart