[AfriNIC-rpd] IPV4 Depletion issues and implications

[Badru Ntege]

Members

Sometime last year we had a discussion on this list to do with IPv4
depletion and the adoption of IPv6.  There are a number of issues arround
this topic that affect us all as a region that i think we should share views
on.  

A number of regions have discussed this topic and a few RIR's have either
adopted or are in the process of adopting region specific policy's.

However there is a school of thought that says that since the whole issue of
depletion has global  implications they should be some kind of harmonisation
of policy accross regions.

In Afrinic I know we have a policy under discussion.  And so do other RIR's
have. 

The depletion of Ipv4 is also expected to bring about a market for IPV4,
which could have implications for our region and other regions.  Proposals
to allow inter RIR shoping are also begining to be discussed in a few
regions replacing the original discussions which only catered for internal
IP shoping or gave options for RIR's to reclaim un-used resources back for
redistribution.

To put things in perspective A few questions are being raised and it would
be nice to hear from the community on these.


1. Should the RIRs jointly undertake policies or practices to regarding the
depletion of the free pools of the IANA or RIRs?

        a. Should a central pool be created to gather returned IP address
space? How should this pool be administered and managed? Should this be
established by an inter-RIR policy?

        b. Is there a deleterious effect caused by the adoption of differing
transfer policies in some regions that are more liberal than those that
currently exist in the regions?

        c. Should an inter-RIR policy be developed for the purpose of
conducting transfers of Internet Number Resources between regions?


It would be nice to hear views on the above and any other issues surrounding
the depletion of Ipv4.  

badru