The master-keeper of Internet addresses ending in “.com” and “.net” — two of the most popular domain name suffixes — has said that it would raise fees charged to register those names.

The annual levy for “.com” will increase 7 per cent to $6.42, and the “.net” fee will go up 10 per cent to $3.85. The per-name fees are what VeriSign Inc collects from companies that sell domain names on its behalf, and such charges are generally incorporated in the prices companies, groups and individuals pay to register names.

With about 62 million “.com” names and 9.1 million “.net” names in use, VeriSign stands to ultimately make $29 million a year from the increase, which will take effect October 15, 2007. However, the price hike applies only to new name registrations and renewals, and customers can lock in the old prices until October 14.

Many brokers, known as registrars, offer multiyear deals for up to 10 years; Network Solutions, formerly owned by VeriSign, even offers a 100-year package.

VeriSign runs the Domain Name System computers that keep track of all the “.com” and “.net” names in use. Computers from around the world check them continually to find out how to reach “.com” and “.net” Web sites and pass along e-mail.

The Mountain View, California-based company said the fee increases, the first since 1999, stem from a need to keep up with growing online use as well as threats from hackers. “Over the last six years, VeriSign has dealt with two phenomenons when it came to the infrastructure,” VeriSign spokesman Tom Galvin said.

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