[AfriNIC-rpd] Updated Version of the "IPv4 Soft Landing Policy"now Available Online

[James Blessing]

On 25/02/2011 02:55, Owen DeLong wrote:

> I don't know about you, but, when I see cars in front of me about to collide, I do not
> tend to step on the gas to see if I can join the accident.

Actually there are times when pressing the accelerator is the best way 
of avoiding an accident (as many f1 driver will tell you). This is the 
reason the idea of 'selling' address out of the last /8 is attractive 
(not saying its what should happen, just that its attractive) for 2 reasons:

1. Increase the income into AfriNIC, this could be used to fund 
educational projects and consultancy to those networks wanting to 
transition but without the experience or skills.

2. Bring the depletion date forward in the region so that it focuses it 
in the mind of networks and encourages to move now rather than waiting.

3. Helps other regions who are trying to transition but are growing 
faster than they can migrate (Apnic)

4. Stops Africa becoming a dumping ground for all the hardware that 
isn't v6 capable. Potentially increasing the time before depletion as 
networks continue to use the 'cheap' discards from the other regions 
(including the address space that is handed back once v6 is the defacto 
choice)

5. Demonstrates the Africa is forward looking, maybe the policy needs to 
actually put a hard stop on the allocation of IPv4 addresses (say 1st 
Jan 2013) pushing networks to deploy IPv6 at a greater rate than they 
are today

This debate seems to be focusing on whether other networks regions are 
going to 'steal' v4 space from AfriNIC and what can be done to stop 
them. Whilst in other regions the focus has moved to how do we 
transition at a faster pace.

We (Limelight Networks) have been adding v6 capabilities to our services 
for years, our JNB pop had v6 added to it about 30 minutes after the 
final v4 addressing plan had been completed (only because I wanted a cup 
of coffee) but its only *now* that people are beginning to ask for v6 
services to be turned on.

Its true AfriNIC needs to have a expiry policy, but for one I think it 
should actually be more about a setting a (close) hard expiry date and 
getting whatever value is possible out of a scarce resource rather than 
trying to arrange he deck chairs to make sure they don't get wet until 
th last second.

J
-- 
James Blessing
+44 7989 039 476
Strategic Relations Manager, EMEA
Limelight Networks