I have a .com address registered through Namcheap and believe that the deal made between ICANN and Verisign has not included consultation with user and the ICANN comminity and not considerated their feedback. The price increases that will subsequently follow as result of this deal will harm consumers and the Internet as a whole given that .COM domains make up 40% of all registered domain names online.

Verisign will be allowed to increase the wholesale price to registrars for .COM domains every year for 8 out of the next 10 years which will mean that .COM wholesale domain prices can grow by more than 70% over and above current prices over the next decade. The contract also allows for other price increases, which could drive prices up further, ultimately making .COM domains less accessible and more expensive for everybody.

The deal does not detail any clarity about how ICANN will spend the money, or who will ensure that the funds are properly spent on domain infrastructure.

These changes will have significant a impact on the Internet for years to come, and only ICANN and Verisign have participated in this decision.