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

[David Conrad]

On Jan 14, 2013, at 4:41 AM, Sunday Folayan <sfolayan at gmail.com> wrote:
> I like your statement ... "Let SOMEONE get some advantage out of the assets, while they still has value".

Agreed.

> I will support a policy proposal that has a reincarnation of John Postel go round African Universities and Research Centres, looking at their LANs and making a direct relacement of their Natted V4 space with routable v4 addresses and also matching v6 to go with it.

While I'm not sure it is necessary for a reincarnation of Jon to go wandering around the continent, I think encouraging folks to move away from NATv4 would be an exceptionally good idea. I suspect there is an entire generation of Internet users that doesn't understand the implications of being directly addressable on the Internet and it is likely (hopefully) going to be the normal case for IPv6.

> oh ... we can even estimate 3 addresses per students population, since they will have laptops, pads and fones, all requiring Wifi at the minimum.

I think it would be a mistake to propose a particular ratio in policy since that number will likely vary over time and circumstances (e.g., these days, a software/web developer will likely have a number of virtual machines in addition to their laptop, tablet, and phone(s)). One size doesn't fit all. I'd hope it would be sufficient for requesters to provide the ratio and the justification for that ratio with their request.

> That is a no-brainer to get the assets used, while they still have value.


For me, it isn't so much a question of value (although I suspect AfriNIC could be in a position to leverage the current and future availability imbalance if they wanted), rather I believe the existence of a large free pool is detrimental to getting IPv6 deployed.  There is no "killer application" that drives IPv6 deployment and as we've seen globally, folks don't really take IPv6 seriously until they're faced "up close and personal" with the unavailability of IPv4. I also think that an extreme imbalance such as AfriNIC having multiple /8s when all the other RIRs free pools are exhausted is likely to lead to even more unpleasant politics and fracturing of relationships, but perhaps I'm too pessimistic.

Regards,
-drc