It strikes me that no matter what IPv4 "countdown policy" APNIC and the
other RIRs adopt (if any), a more significant issue becomes evident once
APNIC's IPv4 address pool is exhausted.
It's likely that IPv6 will not be universally adopted by then, and that
many ISP's will still have product portfolios and large customer bases
positioned on an IPv4 platform. Presumably these ISPs will still require
access to IPv4 addresses, and in the absence of the RIR channel they will
be forced to purchase IPv4 "assets" from other players. My view is that
these assets will hold a value for a period of time until IPv6 becomes
the main stream, however long that takes.
We can either sit back and let this trading just take place (unwise IMO
given the risks of grey or black markets emerging) or we can ensure that
APNIC (and other RIRs) have a role to play in ensuring orderly transfer
and that a respected and obvious framework of clear "title" is in place.
I do not believe that now is the time to be constructing specific policies
relating to address trading simply because right now we don't know all of
the aspects of this activity. But even without specific policy proposals
right now there appears to me to be a real need to examine the available
options for APNIC's role in such a trading environment and the pros and
cons in each case. I suggest that APNIC, and the APNIC membership, need
to start working out now what role APNIC should undertake in this post
IPv4 run out world.
I understand the certification work for secure routing is underway, it
appears to be a good first step in a mechanism of address "ownership" in
the routing realm. The next requirement is that the RIRs need to track
who owns these address to stop the creation of "black registries". I am
not proposing APNIC provide a trading platform, just the ability to
certify the transfer of IPv4 address between parties. Obviously this
could be extended universally across the RIRs to ensure a global scheme
could work across the various regions.
Son / Paul: to get the APNIC Secretariat to study this topic and report to
the membership do we need to adopt a specific policy? It seems early days
for policies but the right time to commence the studies into this topic.
So how can APNIC members such as myself assist the Secretariat to conduct
such a study at this point in time?
Regards
Nick Hannaford
