I have owned since 2003 a domain name "prenom.nom.name" registered with OVH and paid for up to 2032. This domain name is used for all my personal and semi‑professional correspondence, as well as the accompanying website.
I learned from technical forums that Verisign, the registrar of the ".name" zone, will cease the service in February 2027 and does not plan any refunds.
What can OVH, as my provider and the intermediary in this matter, do to ensure the longevity of a domain name that was originally intended to last a lifetime, which is why I chose this approach?
To be honest, the solution for now is “we don’t know, we’re waiting, you’ll be notified by email”. But let’s be serious: this is a problem that requires extensive preparation. I understand that it takes a month to get an answer. But if it doesn’t come, I’ll look elsewhere. OVH isn’t the one responsible, but it has the means to act and protect its customers.
Our domains team became aware of the news recently and, as you can understand, it takes time to consider the best decision with our clients, so it has been impossible to give you a definitive answer.
However, on our side, when there is an end/termination of a client’s service, we send communications to the clients with enough time for you to make the decision you consider best.
Sorry I can’t be more specific, but our team will work on this matter in the coming weeks.
In that case, the registry has decided to stop selling and renewing this type of domain name. The inability to use them will therefore be the same everywhere, whether at OVHcloud or with competitors.
For your information, only third‑level domain names are affected (e.g., "nom.prenom.name"). Domains of the form "domaine.name" are not affected.
If I were you, I would start by migrating your services to a "domaine.name" domain, then set up a redirect from your "prenom.nom.name" domain to this new domain. That way, when third‑level domains disappear, only the redirect will be lost, and your traffic will continue to be routed normally.
I understand. The problem is that it is currently not possible to reserve the domain name "nom.name" if "prenom.nom.name" is taken; Verisign holds the rights to that second‑level domain. And Verisign offers no method for an individual who has prenom.nom.name to switch to nom.name. This is what emerges from the discussions on Hacker News.
Only a bold reseller, to help their customers, can undertake to negotiate this with Verisign. That’s why I’m reaching out to OVH, asking them for a concession. OVH has enough "leverage". An individual has none.
I understand that this requires some thought, but if OVH wants to demonstrate that its customer service is up to the task, this is a good opportunity, especially since next February, given that they sold me the domain until 2032, there would be a fault on their part (to be elaborated by a lawyer).
My main problem is that prenom.nom.name is my identity, and for 23 years it has been used everywhere I open a permanent‑purpose account, for all personal or semi‑professional relationships with whom I sometimes interact. I can’t locate or get back in touch with everyone who might want to contact me again, nor update the mailing lists and accounts opened left and right. It’s an enormous amount of work that lies ahead, not even automatable with AI.
And I’m not even talking about the site, which, although unmaintained, is still referenced in many blogs and directories, including Wikipedia, for a few articles that mention it.
