[AFRINIC-rpd] PDP discussions

[Owen DeLong]

I'm not defending the policy. Frankly, I don't think it was the right solution to the problem that was intended to be addressed. However, having said that...

I don't believe that the point of this policy was to burn IPv4 space. I believe the point was to make it available to universities in a controlled manner that facilitates greater ICT development around the region.

I don't believe that the authors had nefarious intent, nor do I believe that the policy will be particularly harmful or consume the free pool rapidly.

> You guy keep saying burning v4 space. why you want to burn Africa's v4
> space? What Africa has done to you? if you think burning v4 space take
> us quickly to v6 space why there is lucrative transfer market? I tell
> you when v4 is burned out you will see it was no good thing. Africa
> environment is unique from other. we take time to understand and
> deploy. While we do we need our v4 longer.

In reality, having a large free pool is proving harmful. It has created the false perception among many that IPv4 still has a future. During the conference, I heard many people say that the AfriNIC free pool meant that Africa could delay IPv6 deployment until 2020. Nothing could be further from the truth. Waiting until 2020 to deploy IPv6 would turn Africa into a disconnected ghetto on the sidelines of the internet. Early IPv6 deployment (along side a better IPv4 rollout) provides Africa with the opportunity to at least keep pace with, if not leap frog the rest of the world, yet the large AfriNIC free pool seems to be a contributing factor to tremendous IPv4 complacency in the region.

> Burning v4 space create immediate huge problem. New ISP will find it
> expensive to buy IPV4 from trasnfer maket and broker and reality of
> course IPV6 not a solution. WE STILL NEED IPV4 short and MEDIUM TERM
> so that to also use IPv6! Cost of doing ISP business goes high. Cost
> is transfer to client and cost of internet connection goes high again.

IPv6 isn't a solution today, but even with this policy, it will be a solution by the time AfriNIC runs out of IPv4 space. We are a very small number of content sites away from IPv6 being usable for 90+% of web requests. It could already be used for upwards of 75% today. Some universities that have already deployed IPv6 are seeming more than 60% of their traffic flow over IPv6 automatically.

While IPv6 may not be a complete solution today, it is a vital part of preparing a network for tomorrow.

> Let us take a slow steady transition not Africa haters Sunday and
> Andrew who want to ditch their people into hole and burn continents
> IPV4.

I think this comment is utterly and completely uncalled for. While I accept that it is perfectly valid for you to disagree with their position, I do not think you can legitimately characterize them as haters of the region. Such accusations do not further the discussion and only serve to inflame and divide. IMHO, such ad hominem attacks have no place on RPD, even in cases where they may be accurate (which I don't believe is the case here).

Owen