The number of domain name registrations ending in .Net crossed the 16 million mark for the first time today according to Verisign.
According to Verisign the number of .Net domain names is 16,004,860.
This all time high is despite over 1,000 new domain extensions being released over the last 2+ year and the fact that a .net domain name wholesale cost now just slightly lower than .com domains.
The wholesale cost of a .net domain is $7.46 compared to $7.85 (not including ICANN fees)
Moreover while .com prices at the wholesale level are fixed for many years the cost of .net domains can keep rising based on the contract Verisign has with ICANN to operate the .net extension.
Just over 3 years ago domain investor Rick Schwartz wrote a post asking if “Can .whatever Make .net the Big Winner?”
While .net registrations slipped under 15 million domains in January 2015 a year into the new gTLD’s launches, it has now rebounded to record highs in terms of domain registrations.
