Note: This document may contain outdated content and is for historical reference only.
This document describes the policy governing the allocation of IPv4 address space from the IANA to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).
This document does not stipulate performance requirements in the provision of services by the IANA to an RIR in accordance with this policy. Such requirements should be specified by appropriate agreements among the RIRs and ICANN.
Recovered address space is that address space that is returned to an RIR as a result of any activity that seeks to reclaim unused address space or is voluntarily returned to the RIR or is reclaimed by the RIR as a result of legal action or abuse determination. Recovered address space does not include that address space that is reclaimed because of non-payment of contractual fees whose reclamation date is less than one year at the time of the report.
IPv4 address holdings are all unallocated IPv4 address space held by an RIR to include recovered address space not yet returned less that address space that is committed in accordance with the RIR's reservation policy and practices.
This policy is to be implemented in two phases:
Upon ratification of this policy by the ICANN Board of Directors the IANA shall establish a mechanism to receive IPv4 address space which is returned to it by the RIRs, and hold that address space in a 'recovered IPv4 pool'.
Each RIR through their respective chosen policies and strategies may recover IPv4 address space which is under their administration. Each RIR shall at quarterly intervals return any such recovered address space to the IANA in aggregated blocks of /24 or larger, for inclusion in the recovered IPv4 pool.
During Phase I, no allocations will be made from the recovered IPv4 pool.
Upon ratification of this policy by the ICANN Board of Directors and a declaration by the IANA that its existing free pool of unallocated IPv4 address space is depleted; Global Addressing Policy ASO-001-2 (adopted by ICANN Board 8 April 2005) is rescinded. IANA will then commence to allocate the IPv4 address space from the recovered IPv4 pool.
A RIR is eligible to receive additional IPv4 address space from the IANA when the total of its IPv4 address holdings is less than 50% of the current IPv4 allocation unit, and providing that it has not already received an IPv4 allocation from the IANA during the current IPv4 allocation period.
Each new RIR shall, at the moment of recognition, be allocated one (1) allocation unit by the IANA. If an allocation unit is not available, then the IANA will issue this block as soon as one is available. This allocation will be made regardless of the newly formed RIR's projected utilisation figures and shall be independent of the IPv4 address space that may have been transferred to the new RIR by the already existing RIRs as part of the formal transition process.
The following people contributed to the creation of this document by making proposals through the RIPE Policy Development Process (PDP):
Adiel A. Akplogan, Raul Echeberria, Maemura Akinori, Geoff Huston, Axel Pawlik, Ray Plzak, Oscar A. Robles-Garay, Nigel Titley, Paul Wilson.