Dear ICANN, I am firmly opposed to this amendment. I am against baseless price-increases of any domains, including .com, in virtually all other forms. TLD-operators should operate on a not-for-profit basis, as providers of essential infrastructure in the internet age, to prevent perverse incentives deriving from the (very large) vendor-lock-in involved in a domain-name. A free market can function when changing between Registrars, but we cannot change TLD-operator without losing the valuable, branded domain. The only reason I would allow price increases is, based on openly published, unredacted, expense reports for operating the TLD-infrastructure, it is shown that an inflation-adjustment is needed. Each such adjustment must of course be backed by fresh reporting, and be judged on a case-by-case basis. There should also be a separation of powers between those running the infrastructure, and those selling the domain names. This currently exists for .co, in that Verisign as operator is forbidden from also running a registrar. Please keep this restriction in place. I know this restriction does not exist for the new-fangled custom gTLDs, and frankly, I believe that it is a mistake. It would be better for the internet if the separation of powers is introduced in all new gTLDs, rather than removed from "the classics". If Verisign earned enough money on .com that they can pay ICANN 20 million for vaguely specified purposes, apparently there is still too much profit being made, and a price DECREASE is in order. We live in a time where it is actually within humanity's reach to *permanently end poverty, everywhere* (per the UN development goal [1]), and we should be doing everything in our power to assist in this effort. Humanity should solve the poverty problem, so that it can concentrate its full energy on ever more exciting frontiers, such as solar system colonisation. The internet is "the great equalizer", where the content of your character determines your impact, not the depth of your pockets. Price increases only increase the divide between rich and poor, "have" and "have-not". Raising the entry-fee by making domain names more expensive excludes voices. TLD's are an essential infrastructure piece of the internet, not something to be traded for the maximum amount of money. I am against this amendment. Kind regards, Jules Kerssemakers [1] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/poverty/