News: Industry Developments

Message From the NRO Regarding the First Anniversary of the World IPv6 Launch

Marita Phelan — 2013-06-07T08:25:00Z

The Number Resource Organization (NRO), representing all five of the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), joins the Internet Society (ISOC) in celebrating the first anniversary of World IPv6 Launch. The NRO continues to directly support the efforts of the Internet community at all levels to facilitate global adoption of IPv6.

NRO Calls for Greater Investment in IPv6 Deployment

Marita Phelan — 2013-05-28T06:48:15Z

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has reiterated the need to enhance efforts to deploy and adopt IPv6 around the world. The organization said IPv6 is a critical factor in global telecommunications and will determine the stability of the Internet in the near future given the impending exhaustion of IPv4.

Lacnic Community elects Jorge Villa to NRO NC / ASO AC

Adam Castle — 2013-05-13T09:44:53Z

Lacnic is pleased to announce the election of Jorge Villa to the Number Resource Organisation Number Council (NRO NC). Jorge will serve in the NRO NC as a representative of the Lacnic region until 31 December 2014. The position fell vacant after the departure of Alejandro Guzman.

RIRs Submit Remarks to ITU WTPF-13

Chris Buckridge — 2013-05-01T14:21:05Z

The document, entitled "Input to the WTPF-13 from the Regional Internet Registries", addresses a range of issues that will be discussed at the upcoming ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum 2013 (WTPF-13).

In mid-April, various RIPE community members gave feedback on a draft of this document. It was updated ahead of its official submission and now includes more detailed information to address some of the opinions discussed by the Informal Expert Group (IEG) that was convened in preparation for the WTPF-13.

An annex has been added outlining the efforts of the five RIRs to support the deployment of IPv6 and IPv6 capacity building.

Representatives of all five RIRs will be present at WTPF-13 and, as always, are available for consultation on any of the points raised in this document, as well as any other aspects of RIR business.

RIPE community members are encouraged to comment or raise questions on the RIPE Cooperation Working Group mailing list.

NRO Executive Council appoints permanent NRO Executive Secretary

Marita Phelan — 2013-05-01T09:20:00Z

The NRO EC is pleased to announce that German Valdez has been appointed the Number Resource Organization (NRO) Executive Secretary.

RIRs’ input to the WTPF-13

Adam Castle — 2013-04-19T13:10:00Z

This document addresses some of the Draft Opinions discussed by the Informal Expert Group in preparation for the ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum 2013 (WTPF-13).

Meeting Brings Together RIRs and Law Enforcement Agencies

Marita Phelan — 2013-03-28T11:12:29Z

The UK Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the RIPE NCC, together with the other Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), organised a dedicated meeting for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) for the third time on 13 March. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss any ongoing developments regarding the Internet and the RIRs and create awareness within the LEA community about changes in policy that might have an impact on their operations.

Amongst the topics discussed was the concept of IPv4 address space transfers and the potential impact those might have on law enforcement operations. It was concluded that maintaining an accurate and complete address registry is important to all stakeholders.

Another key topic focused on the use of public data sources - such as the RIPE Database - in law enforcement investigations, and how to streamline the process for both LEAs and the relevant RIRs.

With over 60 representatives from law enforcement agencies all over the world, as well as representatives from several RIRs, this was a very successful event. The RIPE NCC would like to thank SOCA for helping to organise this meeting and we look forward to continuing to engage with the global law enforcement community.

NRO pledges continued support for IGF

Adam Castle — 2013-02-25T10:10:00Z

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has expressed its support for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and pledged to continue its financial and technical support.

RIPE NCC to Host Arab IGF MAG Meeting and Open Consultation

Adam Castle — 2013-02-21T13:05:00Z

At the invitation of the Arab Internet Governance Forum (Arab IGF) Secretariat, the RIPE NCC and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE will co-host two preparatory events in Dubai this March for the second Arab IGF: an Open Consultation and a meeting of the Arab Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (AMAG).

The first Arab IGF, held in 2012 in Kuwait, was hailed for successfully bringing together a diverse group of participants to discuss pressing regional Internet governance issues, including security, content blocking, access for youth and women, and management of critical Internet resources (including IP addresses and domain names).

The RIPE NCC is proud to have been a supporter of the Arab IGF since its inception, and in 2012 provided financial and administrative support for the event. Paul Rendek, RIPE NCC Director of External Relations, also serves as a member of the AMAG, which is responsible for guiding the development of the Arab IGF.

The 2013 Arab IGF event will be held in the second half of the year, and the important work of setting an agenda that engages with the concerns of Internet stakeholders in the region begins with this meeting of the AMAG and Open Consultation.

The two events will run from 3-5 March at the Radisson Royal Hotel in Dubai, UAE, with the AMAG meeting in closed sessions on 3 and 5 March and the Open Consultation on 4-5 March. Anyone with an interest is welcome to attend the Open Consultation, and remote participation facilities will also be available. The programme will also include a public session on “Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance in the Arab World”, with speakers including ICANN President and CEO, Fadi Chehade, and Chairman of the ICANN Board, Steve Crocker.

This is a key moment for Internet governance, both at the global level and for the Arab region. Well-publicised discussions in forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have left many uncertain about what future Internet-related public policy will look like, and what roles the public and private sectors should play. In this context, it is more important than ever that all Internet stakeholders express their opinions and concerns, and that there be forums where all groups can meet and share information and opinions. While still new on the scene, the Arab IGF is already proving an important, multi-stakeholder space for these discussions.

The RIPE NCC is honoured to be working with the UAE TRA and the Arab IGF Secretariat to facilitate the community-driven development of the 2013 Arab IGF agenda. The RIPE NCC and its fellow Regional Internet Registries have repeatedly stressed the importance of regional Internet governance processes to identify the distinct regional perspectives on key Internet governance issues. As well as helping to address issues at a regional level, events like the Arab IGF are vital in presenting regional perspectives in global Internet governance discussions.

We strongly encourage anyone with an interest in Internet governance issues in the Arab region to contribute to the Open Consultation process on 4-5 March. Those wishing to attend in person can complete an online registration form.

Internet Governance and the RIPE NCC: the Year Ahead

Mihnea-Costin Grigore — 2013-02-20T14:31:15Z

Internet governance is an important area of resource investment for the RIPE NCC. This article looks at some of the major Internet discussions taking place in 2013, including:

What is the multi-stakeholder process?
Who pays for the Internet’s infrastructure?
What role will governments have in Internet governance?

Under an over-arching goal of ensuring the informed development of public policy relating to the Internet, the RIPE NCC has a number of areas of priority over the coming 12 months. These are:

Increasing understanding of the benefits of Internet Exchange Points and local peering
Building more effective regional engagement on Internet governance issues
Engaging effectively with the ITU and its Member States on Internet governance

The RIPE NCC is eager to hear from all of our stakeholders, including the RIPE NCC membership and broader RIPE community, on what issues are important and how the RIPE NCC can most effectively represent its community. We facilitate this feedback through a range of forums and activities, including the RIPE Cooperation Working Group and RIPE NCC Regional Meetings.

Read the full article on RIPE Labs.

NRO and ICANN comment on ITU Secretary General’s WTPF Report

Mihnea-Costin Grigore — 2013-02-20T12:55:00Z

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Number Resource Organization (NRO) have written to the chair of the Informal Expert Group (IEG) of the World Telecommunication Policy Forum 2013 providing further comments on the International Telecommunication Union’s Secretary-General WTPF Report.

Andy Linton reappointed to the ASO Address Council

Mihnea-Costin Grigore — 2012-12-27T17:05:00Z

APNIC is pleased to announce that Andy Linton has been reappointed by the APNIC Executive Council as a member of the ASO Address Council for 2013. He will be representing the APNIC region for a one-year term starting 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013

NRO Observations on WCIT-12 process

Marita Phelan — 2012-12-17T09:30:00Z

The Number Resource Organization, representing the world’s five Regional Internet address Registries, issues the following statement from Dubai, the site of the recent World Conference on International Telecommunications.

RIPE NCC Report on IGF 2012

Adam Castle — 2012-12-05T12:55:00Z

The seventh Internet Governance Forum took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 6-9 November 2012, bringing together more than 1,600 people from 128 countries. The RIPE NCC participated in the event, working with fellow Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and industry partners to develop the IGF program, organise workshops and contribute to discussions.

Reports and session transcripts have now been published on the IGF website for the three workshops that the RIPE NCC was involved in organising:

Workshop 99: Moving to IPv6: Challenges for Internet Governance (Organised by the Number Resource Organization (NRO))
Workshop 100: Internet Governance and RPKI (Organised by the NRO)
Workshop 117: Best Common Practices for Building Internet Capacity (Organised by RIPE NCC, AFRINIC and the Arab IGF)

The RIPE NCC also contributed to workshops on Internet Exchange Point development (Workshop 159), Developing a National/Regional Framework of Principles for Internet Governance (Workshop 170), and two sessions discussing output from the Arab IGF.

The main plenary session on Managing Critical Internet Resources (CIRs) considered issues surrounding the ICANN new gTLD program, Intergovernmentalism (focusing on the ITU, WCIT and the International Telecommunications Regulations) and IPv4 markets. Each of these discussions built on work done in earlier workshops, with APNIC Chief Scientist Geoff Huston representing the RIR community perspective on the panels. A transcript of this session is available on the IGF website.

Looking ahead, APNIC Director General Paul Wilson spoke to the Closing Ceremony, highlighting the ongoing concerns regarding IGF funding and the importance of maintaining the IGF as part of a broader, multi-stakeholder, bottom-up system of Internet governance. There were also calls from many participants for the IGF to take a more active role in defining and facilitating "Enhanced Cooperation", a key concept in Internet governance processes since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003.

The next IGF will be held in late 2013 in Indonesia. Paul Rendek will continue in his role as a member of the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), which will develop the themes and working methods for the event. There will also be opportunities for members of the general public to contribute feedback and ideas through Open Consultations, the first of which will take place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 28 February 2013.

We welcome any questions or comments regarding the RIPE NCC's participation in IGF 2013 on the RIPE Cooperation Working Group mailing list.

“Stop the Net Grab”: NRO shares concerns about the WCIT process

Marita Phelan — 2012-11-14T08:25:00Z

The Number Resource Organization (NRO), the body representing the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), today expressed its support for the “Stop the Net Grab” campaign that is being spearheaded by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in the lead-up to the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12).