RIPE Policy Proposal 2007-06

This policy describes the process for the allocation of the remaining IPv4 space from IANA to the RIRs. When a minimum amount of available space is reached, an identical number of IPv4 allocation units (/8s) will be allocated from IANA to each RIR, replacing the current IPv4 allocation policy.

 

New Text

In order to fulfil the requirements of this policy, at the time it is adopted, an identical number of IPv4 allocation units (N units) will be reserved by IANA for each RIR. The number N is defined as: 5. The reserved allocation units will no longer be part of the available space at the IANA pool. The process for the allocation of the remaining IPv4 space is divided in two consecutive phases:

1. Existing Policy Phase:

During this phase IANA will continue allocating IPv4 addresses to the RIRs using the existing allocation policy. This phase will continue until a request for IPv4 address space from any RIR to IANA cannot be fulfilled with the remaining IPv4 space available at the IANA pool.

This will be the last IPv4 address space request that IANA will accept from any RIR. At this point the next phase of the process will be initiated.

2. Exhaustion Phase:

IANA will automatically allocate the reserved IPv4 allocation units to each RIR (N units to each one) and respond to the last request with the remaining available allocation units at the IANA pool (M units).

2.1. Size of the final IPv4 allocations:

During this phase IANA will automatically allocate N allocation units to each RIR from the reserved space defined in this policy. IANA will also allocate M allocation units to the RIR that submitted the last request for IPv4 addresses.

2.2. Allocation of the remaining IPv4 Address space:

After the completion of the evaluation of the final request for IPv4 addresses, IANA must:

• Immediately notify the NRO about the activation of the second phase of this policy
• Proceed to allocate M allocation units to the RIR that submitted the last request for IPv4 address space
• Proceed to allocate N allocation units to each RIR from the reserved space

Arguments Supporting the Proposal

The IANA pool of allocation units of IPv4 addresses (/8s) is decreasing rapidly. A new policy is proposed to replace the current 'on demand' policy in order to bring certainty on how the remaining space will be allocated. This policy eliminates the pressure on the remaining central pool of addresses by allocating equal amount of allocation units (N) to each RIR.

RIRs may be studying slow-landing policies or the possibility to reserve specific address spaces for 'critical infrastructure' or new companies in order to comply with anti-trust regulations in its region. This policy allows each RIR to adopt those policies through its PDP, which is simpler than a global policy discussion process. Each RIR will have the exact information on the amount of address spaces that they will be receiving as a last allocation from the IANA.

The policy is written in such a way that the discussion could be split in two sections: first do we agree on the concept of the policy and second what is the appropriate value for the last allocation units N.

---

Arguments Opposing the Proposal

Concerns have been raised regarding the address blocks that will be kept at smaller RIRs (particularly LACNIC and AfriNIC) however, at the actual address consumption rate, to open those blocks (10 x /8) would only represent a twelve month extension from the exhaustion date for the bigger RIRs.