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Cooperative Distribution of the End of the IPv4 Free Pool

This policy will establish a process for RIR-to-RIR redistribution of the tail-end of the IPv4 pool, taking effect after the IANA Reserve is exhausted. Each redistribution Allocation will be triggered by the recipient RIR depleting its reserve to a 30 day supply, and will result in up to a 3 month supply being transferred from the RIR with the longest remaining time before it exhausts its own pool.

Summary of Proposal:

This policy will establish a process for RIR-to-RIR redistribution of the tail-end of the IPv4 pool, taking effect after the IANA Reserve is exhausted. Each redistribution Allocation will be triggered by the recipient RIR depleting its reserve to a 30 day supply, and will result in up to a 3 month supply being transferred from the RIR with the longest remaining time before it exhausts its own pool.

Rationale:

Arguments Supporting the Proposal

This policy will establish a mechanism for the Allocation of IPv4 address blocks between RIR's, but will not go into effect until the IANA pool has been depleted.

It is really bizarre to watch the maneuvering as the global RIR community grapples with 'fairness' of distributing the last few IANA Reserve /8 blocks. On one level this just appears to be petty sibling rivalry, as people are bickering over who gets the last cookie and whimpering about 'fairness'. At the same time, each RIR is chartered to look after the interests of its membership so it is to be expected that they will each want to get as much as possible to meet the needs of their respective membership. Existing practice requires RIR's to acquire blocks from IANA, which leads to the current round of nonsense about optimal distribution of the remaining pool based on elaborate mathematical models.

This globally submitted policy proposal attempts to resolve the issue by shifting to an RIR-to-RIR Allocation model after the IANA pool is depleted. This policy would effectively result in each RIR becoming a virtual LIR member of all of the other RIR's for the sole purpose of managing the tail-end of the IPv4 pool.

It is likely that IANA pool will be depleted around the middle of 2009 so it will be useful to have this proposed policy implemented anytime before 1/1/2009.

Arguments Opposing the Proposal

None.

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