<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Dear Colleagues,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">In light of the recent development in the Internet environment and relayed by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">different media coverages and reports on what some characterised as “Internet</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Doomsday” predicted to be within the first quarter of 2011, at AfriNIC we find</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">it important to provide our community some clarifications and information</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">related to the situation allowing everyone to have a little bit more</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">information on what they can except during the coming months in our region.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Recently, the central IPv4 address pool managed by the Internet Assigned</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Numbers Authority (IANA) has dropped to its last seven /8 blocks (less than 3%</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">of the total pool). Two of these blocks are expected to be allocated soon,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">making us reach the threshold that should trigger an equal distribution among</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">the five RIRs including AfriNIC as per the global Policy AFPUB-2009-v4-1:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><a href="http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html">http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">However, and even after the total exhaustion of IANA’s IPv4 address pool, we</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">would like to reassures our members and our community at large that according</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">to current allocation trend in our region we will be able to continue to serve</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">IPv4 needs for few more years (3 to 4 years) after the central pool</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">exhaustion.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">AfriNIC will continue to allocate and assign IPv4 and IPv6 based on its</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">current policy until we each our final /8. As soon as that threshold is</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">reached, the IPv4 Soft Landing policy that has recently reached consensus form</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">our community at the recent AfriNIC-13 meeting in South Africa will take</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">effect.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">See</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><a href="http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2010-v4-005.htm">http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2010-v4-005.htm</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">for more</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">information.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">In addition to that, at AfriNIC we still strongly stand behind our campaign to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">encourage operators to review their NAT usage practice which in many cases</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">unnecessarily complicates networks design and could make the IPv6 transition</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">more complex. At this point of time there is no reason to extensively</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">implement NAT (as we have sees several time) and not to request needed public</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">IPv4 addresses from AfriNIC. It is time to review your network topology and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">address planing in order to request the amount of IP address that you need to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">properly run your network an offer efficient service to your customers. the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">AfriNIC Internet Number Resource Analyst team will be happy helping you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">through such process.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">While we are emphasizing on the fact that there is no reason at this point of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">time to react in a panic mode, we are also urging the operators to swiftly</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">take the necessary measures and actions for IPv6 readiness and implementing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">the new protocol on their infrastructure. It is important to note that the two</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">versions of the protocol will have to coexist and work both together for a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">while. Through our IPv6 program our members can access to IPv6 resources</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">without any additional membership fees. You can request your IPv4 & IPv6 blocks</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">through the same regular application process and start deploying it as well so</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">to be ready for future evolution. IPv6 is clearly the only long-term solution</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">we see for a sustainable growth of the Internet Business particularly in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">region like ours.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">During 2011, AfriNIC will be focusing more on its IPv6 program through several</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">activities that encourage and support its deployment throughout the region. The</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">African IPv6 Task Force we are supporting will certainly help LIRs, Private</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">companies and Governments to develop a clear roadmap for Pv6 deployment. This</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">is critical for us and is a high priority in our next year activity plan. We</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">would like you to stay tuned and follow us in the upcoming moths. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">To finish, I would like to use this opportunity to wish you all a very happy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">new year 2011 from all the AfriNIC team.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Sincerely</span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="monospace"><br></font></div><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Courier; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div><div><div>-----------------</div><div>Adiel A. Akplogan </div><div>Chief Executive Officer</div><div>AfriNIC, <a href="http://www.afrinic.net">www.afrinic.net</a> </div></div><div><br></div></div><br></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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