[rpd] [Last Call] Draft Policy Proposal - Soft Landing, Recovered Space and Priority (AFPUB-2026-IPv4-001-DRAFT02)

[ALAIN AINA]

Hi Grégoire,

Thank you for raising these points. I would like to add several clarifications that go directly to the core of the issue.

AFRINIC has been in Soft‑Landing Phase 2 since 13 January 2020, when only a /11 of non‑reserved space remained available in the Final /8. The Soft‑Landing policy is explicit, and I quote section 5.4.3 of the CPM:

“During the Exhaustion Phase, the following allocation and assignment guidelines will be used. They apply to both LIRs and End Users, and to all IPv4 address space allocated, assigned, or otherwise managed by AFRINIC during the transition to and after the beginning of the Exhaustion Phase, regardless of whether or not such IPv4 address space is a part of the Final /8. The Exhaustion Phase will be divided into two parts.”

This clearly includes recovered IPv4 space.

AFRINIC has now recovered more than 3 million IPv4 addresses, and the community must answer a straightforward question from Staff:

	- Should the recovered IPv4 space automatically fall under the existing Soft‑Landing Phase 2 conditions?
	OR
	- Should it be subject to a new policy governing how recovered IPv4 space is handled?

If the answer is the first option, then Soft‑Landing already provides the required guidance. In that case, proposing a new policy to restate what Soft‑Landing already mandates is unnecessary and risks creating confusion where none should exist.

The Working Group should remain focused on the real policy question, not reopen issues that are already settled in the CPM. Introducing a new policy to replicate existing rules does not help the community and diverts attention from areas where policy development is genuinely needed.

I would suggest that, in future, when staff raises a question to the community, the Working Group first discusses it, agrees on the problem statement, and only then seeks volunteers to draft a proposal addressing the clearly identified problem.

Wishing everyone a pleasant and restful weekend.

—Alain

> On 30 Jul 2026, at 21:01, Gregoire EHOUMI via RPD <rpd at afrinic.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Dear Co‑chairs,
>  I would like to reiterate the concerns I raised during the PPM regarding the long‑term implications of Soft‑Landing Phase 2 and, in particular, the treatment of recovered IPv4 space.
>  My concerns relate to the two main suggestions from the current proposal:
>  - the irreversibility of Soft‑Landing Phase 2, and
> - the decision to return more than 3 million recovered IPv4 addresses, irrespective of their original pool sources, into the Soft‑Landing pool where they become fully governed by Phase 2 rules.
>  The IPv4 consumption rate under Soft‑Landing Phase 2, based on AFRINIC staff’s projections, is as follows:
>  - approximately 2 years to deplete the 783,872 IPv4 addresses currently available;
> - an additional ~3 years to deplete the /12 block (~1 million addresses) reserved by policy;
> - several Resource Members receiving more than 8 × /22 within a single calendar year.
>  These figures highlight the importance of adopting a predictable and controlled model for managing recovered IPv4 space, rather than stockpiling it in a single pool while members continue to request IPv4 in small fragments.
>  In this context, I would like to draw attention to the proposal titled “Dynamic IPv4 Pools Exhaustion Management Framework”, which also addresses recovered IPv4 space but through a different and more holistic approach.
>  Unlike the current proposal, which reinjects all recovered space into the Soft‑Landing Phase 2 pool, the Dynamic Framework introduces separate pools, dedicated rules, and anti‑abuse mechanisms designed to ensure that recovered IPv4 space is managed strategically rather than under Phase 2 behaviour.
>  Given the irreversible nature of Phase 2 as defined in the proposal and the significant volume of recovered IPv4 space, it is essential that the Working Group carefully evaluate all available approaches, including those already submitted, to ensure responsible resource management.
>  Reference: https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/rpd/2026/014896.html
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Gregoire EHOUMI
> 
> 
> 
>> On Jul 16, 2026, at 6:08 PM, Hytham El-Nakhal <hytham at tra.gov.eg> wrote:
>> 
>> Dear PDWG,
>> 
>> 
>> The Policy Development Working Group (PDWG )Chairs  have initiated a Last Call for this proposal, following rough consensus at the AFRINIC-37 Public Policy Meeting held in hybrid format in Nairobi, Kenya on 24 June 2026.
>> 
>> Proposal Details:
>> 
>>  *   Proposal Name: Soft Landing, Recovered Space and Priority
>> 
>>  *   Proposal ID: AFPUB-2026-IPv4-001-DRAFT02
>> 
>>  *   Proposal URL: https://www.afrinic.net/afpub-2026-ipv4-001-draft02.html
>> 
>> Last Call will  close on : July 31, 2026, at 23:59 UTC.
>> 
>> 
>> The Secretariat will provide information on the resource recovery process during this period to assist with final community review.
>> 
>> 
>> As always, we kindly request that all participants adhere to the AFRINIC Code of Conduct<https://www.afrinic.net/code> to maintain a respectful and professional environment on the mailing list.
>> 
>> 
>> Kind Regards,
>> 
>> 
>> Haitham el Nakhal
>> 
>> AFRINIC PDWG Co-Chair
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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