[ppml] Policy Proposal: 2007-12 IPv4 Countdown Policy Proposal

[michael.dillon at bt.com]

> > IANA doesn't have to ONLY give out /8s. Towards the end they could  
> > give
> > out smaller blocks. But that is a separate policy discussion.
> 
> Actually, the IANA does have to allocate in /8s units. The 
> Allocation  
> Principles section of the policy quite clearly states:
> 
>     "The IANA will allocate IPv4 address space to the RIRs in 
> /8 units."
> 
> http://www.icann.org/general/allocation-IPv4-rirs.html

This is precisely why IANA does *NOT* have to allocate in /8s. Because
this is a policy, it can be changed.

For instance, once the IPv4 supply is reduced to no more than 5 /8s,
allocate to RIRs only based on their short term needs. Or maybe that
should be 7 /8s, or... In any case, it would be useful to study the
uptake rates of all 5 RIRs in order to find the right trigger point for
beginning "less than /8" allocations to RIRs. The intent of such a
change would be to make all 5 regions run out of IANA allocations at
roughly the same time.

Note that this does not mean the RIRs themselves run dry. They will all
have extra space due to their allocation algorithms which reserve space
for some period of time. I would expect that the RIRs would change their
internal policies about reserved space and allocation algorithms after
IANA runs dry.

--Michael Dillon