[AFRINIC-rpd] New Policy Proposal: Inter RIR IPv4 Address Transfers (AFPUB-2013-V4-001-DRAFT-01)

[Owen DeLong]

On Jan 12, 2013, at 3:01 PM, David Conrad <drc at virtualized.org> wrote:

> McTim,
> 
> On Jan 11, 2013, at 9:01 PM, McTim <dogwallah at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> For example, policies to increase Internet deployment in the African region, promote migration to IPv6, advance efforts to educate regional government regulators/policymakers/etc. on Internet technologies and implications, etc.
>>> 
>>> My impression is that there is consensus within the African region (and elsewhere) that these are all useful policy goals to pursue.
>> 
>> They are useful goals indeed.
> 
> At least we agree on one thing :).
> 
>> Allowing LIRs to flog address space may not be the route to achieving them however.
> 
> I'm not suggesting LIRs flogging addresses is the way to meet those policy goals, rather I'm observing that assuming current consumption trends continue, AfriNIC will increasingly find itself in the enviable but somewhat awkward position of being steward to vastly more commercially valuable resources than the other RIRs at a time when demand will be far outpacing supply.  
> 

Demand already far outstrips supply. It is only by onerous and restrictive policies that the regions which still have address space do, in fact, still have address space.

> According to http://www.potaroo.net/tools/ipv4/index.html, AfriNIC is projected to have IPv4 addresses nearly 7 years after all the other RIRs have exhausted their free pools. Perhaps I am too cynical, but I am a bit skeptical that this is a likely or even viable outcome given the (ever increasing) amount of money and inter-governmental politics involved.
> 

But that assumes that internet deployment in Africa continues at roughly it's current pace and does not accelerate.

> As I said in an earlier note, I think it is unfortunate that such a demand outpacing supply situation can't be leveraged to drive AfriNIC consensus policy goals.
> 

I'm not sure that it can't, but I'm virtually certain that this proposal would merely strip supply without any such leverage.
> 
>> I understand AA point about running out at the same time, I just don't
>> think we can get there at this point.
> 
> Out of curiosity, why not?
> 

At least in part because 2 of 5 RIRs have already gotten there ahead of AfriNIC.


Owen