[arin-ppml] "Leasing" of space via non-connectivity providers

[Jack Bates]

On 2/4/2011 1:50 PM, Scott Helms wrote:
> So what do you think of what we do today, and have for over 5 years, 
> which is reassign or reallocate space to ISPs we are not providing a 
> connection to in order for smaller providers to gain access to 
> portable address space?  We started doing this to help ISPs that don't 
> qualify in some way (hard to be multi-homed in areas without more than 
> one provider) or don't want to deal with ARIN.  You could say we are a 
> corner case and most of the customers that leverage this service from 
> us are smaller (often in rural) retail ISPs, which ARIN seems to be 
> recognizing have different needs from their larger brethren.  I'd also 
> point out that we push the same requirements down to those ISPs that 
> ARIN places on us and frankly our ability to accurately assess 
> utilization is _much_ better than ARIN's because in most of these 
> cases we're also helping take care of the network infrastructure.  
> That was the other reason we started leasing space, we were spending 
> too much time renumbering networks for ISPs that were desperate to 
> obtain lower cost Internet connectivity.

Basically, you are an LIR (as compared to the ISP), which while ARIN 
distinctions are muddled on such, does exist in the wild. Most charge 
something for the service, though often it also ends up being someone 
that is also performing management duties.

Connectivity should never be a requirement. If people want to start 
charging more for being an LIR, let them. They can't go back for more 
from ARIN or use the transfer options without justifying what they have 
given out. I do agree that work should be done to deal with IPv4 
justifications and whois enforcement, but kicking every LIR or 
organization who is validly using address space without needing the 
connectivity anymore is silly.


Jack