[arin-announce] ARIN Research Opportunity

[Member Services]

The American Registry for Internet Numbers’ Board of Trustees recently 
ratified changes to ARIN’s Transfer Policy, Number Resource Policy 
Manual Section 8 - Transfers https://www.arin.net/policy/nrpm.html#eight.
Section 8.3 specifically allows organizations to release Internet Number 
resources to another organization subject to guidelines as stated in the 
policy. This policy change combined with the continued depletion of 
Regional Internet Registry (RIR) available IPv4 address space may create 
a market condition in which bidders, organizations that need IPv4 
address space, competitively make offers, for available IPv4 address 
space, to sellers. Under these conditions, it is assumed that sellers 
may seek the highest dollar value for their available address space.

Understanding these potential market conditions, ARIN is requesting 
research analysis and a report on potential market pricing for IPv4 
address space in increments commonly allocated by the RIRs (/22, /21, 
/20…/16..). The research analysis and report should focus on the period 
near and through IPv4 exhaustion when competitive conditions may result 
in maximum prices that bidders are willing to offer for IPv4 address 
space. Research should consider and report all conditions that may 
influence the market conditions and impact on pricing throughout the 
period in which the RIRs cannot meet demand well beyond exhaustion, 
until market equilibrium is achieved. ARIN is seeking innovative thought 
from an established economics and market researcher with a proven record 
of analyzing and predicting future market characteristics, specifically 
in market pricing. Ideally, the researcher would have experience in 
establishing new markets as well. ARIN requires a new research effort, 
not simply a review of similar studies that may have been done and/or 
are currently underway. ARIN may request the researcher to update the 
pricing analysis as conditions change over time.

The ARIN Board of Trustees will use the results of this research to 
determine changes in strategic direction, operating plan objectives, and 
may share with the Internet community and other interested parties for 
policy evaluation and consideration.

Please submit your proposal for the research referenced above to 
FundResearch at arin.net following ARIN’s Policy Guidelines for Research 
Projects which are located at 
https://www.arin.net/about_us/corp_docs/research.html

Regards,

John Curran
President and CEO
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)