[rpd] Policy Proposal: AFPUB-2016-V4-002-DRAFT01

[Andrew Alston]

Hi All,

Please find attached a policy proposal based on amending the soft landing policy.

The authors encourage and welcome debate and any comments on the below, and look forward to a robust debate with the goal of coming to an amicable position that leads to consensus.

Thanks

Andrew Alston

AFPUB-2016-V4-002-DRAFT01
Soft Landing Overhaul
 
 
  
  Authors:
  a.    
  Andrew Alston, andrew.alston at liquidtelecom.com
  b.    
  Kris Seeburn, seeburn.k at gmail.com
  c.    
  Mark Elkins, mje at posix.co.za
  d.    
  Michele McCann, michele at teraco.co.za
  e.    
  John Walubengo, jwalu at yahoo.com 
   
  Draft Policy Version:       01
  Submission Date:            12 February 2016
  Status:                     Under Discussion
  Amends:                     AFPUB-2010-v4-005 (IPv4 soft landing policy)
  
  
 
1.      Summary of the problem being addressed by this proposal
At the time when the original soft landing policy was authored, there were many unknowns and 
circumstances that could not be foreseen, and as a result of this, the policy in its current 
form may actually damage the interests of the AFRINIC community rather than assist it.
 
Primary among these, it was not known when the rest of the world would run out of IPv4 space, 
and the adoption rates of IPv6 were also an unknown quantity.
While it is acknowledged that there is a need to ensure that new entrants into the IP world 
may require some small amount of IPv4 space, beyond this, further delaying the depletion of 
IPv4 address space may well be holding the region back while the rest of the world moves on, 
leaving Africa at a significant disadvantage moving forward.
 
In the original policy replaced by this, the numbers and allocation levels were also not based 
on any fundamental justifications, because of the unknowns that existed at the time.
 

2.     Summary of how this proposal addresses the problem
This proposal still maintains a block of space reserved for new entrants, but beyond that, it 
allows for the natural depletion of IPv4 through standard demand, and hence encourages the uptake 
of IPv6 in a more aggressive manner.
 

3.     Proposal
 

3.1.  Section 3.2 is amended to remove the definition of “Final /8 block of IPv4 address space, or “Final /8”
 

3.2.  Section 3.2 is further amended to add the following definition: 
“New Entrant Block - A /13 block of IPv4 space, reserved in entirety, for allocations of space to 
members of AFRINIC that at the time of application have no previous IPv4 address allocations.   A /13 
was chosen based on historical member growth numbers by AFRINIC including a certain increase in those 
allocations to provide sufficient space to allocate to new members of a period of 2 years”
 
 

3.3.  Section 3.2 is further amended to remove the definition of “New LIR”

 
3.4.  Section 3.2 is amended to add the following definition: “Additional and reclaimed space: 
All IPv4 address blocks recovered from non paying clients, as well as all allocations of address space 
made to AFRINIC by IANA or a replacement organisation”

 
3.5.  Section 3.2 is further amended to add the following definition: 
“New Entrant” – Either a member or new member that at the time of application had no previous IPv4 
allocations or assignments made to them by AFRINIC, and were not holders of legacy IPv4 space or 
other IPv4 space sourced either through a potential transfer market or other RIR.

 
3.6.  Section 3.4 is amended to read:
The “Current Phase” is the status-quo at the time of the adoption of this policy.  During this phase, 
AFRINIC will continue allocating or assigning IPv4 address space to LIRs and End Users using current 
IPv4 allocation policies as determined by the community through the policy development working group.
 
The current phase will continue until the depletion of IPv4 address space occurs, with the exception 
of IPv4 reservations as defined by this and other currently in force policies.

 
3.7.  Section 3.5 is renamed to “New Entrant specification”

 
3.8.  Section 3.5 is amended to read:
At the time where an application is made that will not be fulfilled out of the AFRINIC pool, with the 
exclusion of space reserved by this and other policies, the only applications for IPv4 space which will 
be further considered by AFRINIC will be for New Entrants. The maximum size of a New Entrant allocation 
will be a /22. New Entrant applications will be processed on a first in first out (FIFO) basis, that is 
To say that applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.
New Entrant applications with regards to justifications must conform to current IPv4 allocation policies 
as defined by the community.
 

3.9.  Section 3.5.1 is amended to read:
All space falling under the definition of Additional and reclaimed space, as from the time of ratification 
of this policy, will become part of the new entrant vlock and will be reserved for members who meet the 
New Entrant definition.
 

3.10.  Section 3.5.2, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9 are revoked.