[ppml] In$entive$

[Kevin Kargel]

> I'm going to start a thread with an offshoot idea, although 
> it's not strictly a policy matter.  People keep talking about 
> incenting people to move to IPv6.  What if ARIN were to 
> implement a new fee
> schedule:
> 
> Year Fees for IPv4 Addresses
> 2007 Existing rates.
> 2008 2 * 2007 Rates
> 2009 4 * 2007 Rates
> 2010 8 * 2007 Rates
> 2011 16 * 2007 Rates
> 2012 32 * 2007 Rates
> 2013 32 * 2007 Rates
> 2014 32 * 2007 Rates
> 2015 32 * 2007 Rates
> etc
> 
> Per http://www.arin.net/billing/fee_schedule.html, someone 
> with a single /19 would go from $2,250 a year in 2007 to 
> $72,000 in 2012.
> It's predictable so you can show management, there is a sense 
> of urgency, and it doesn't happen overnight to create a run 
> on IPv6 addresses.  It also provides proportional incentive 
> to the largest and smallest IP's.
> 
> As an alternative, so as not to punish existing address space 
> holders this could be applied to initial allocations only.
> 
> I suspect, "hey boss, our IPv4 space is going to cost us 32x 
> in 6 years, and we can get IPv6 space for free" would be a 
> powerful motivator.
> 
> -- 
>        Leo Bicknell - bicknell at ufp.org - CCIE 3440
>         PGP keys at http://www.ufp.org/~bicknell/ Read TMBG 
> List - tmbg-list-request at tmbg.org, www.tmbg.org
> 

The problem with this methodology is that it would place the burden on
the backs of an already overburdened population.   Costs in business are
absorbed readily, so long as they are applied evenly across the board.
In fact when on a level playing field more outgo translates to more
income based on fixed rate markup of expenses passed to the consumer.
Big business doesn't mind when their costs go up, as long as the cost
for the competition increases proportionally.  The real cost is passed
to the consumer, who will have little to say about network organization
until it is way too late.  

I would be very afraid that this could place the cost of Internet out of
the reach of the common man.  I have customers now who can barely afford
the $9/month for a basic internet account.  If that figure were to
double because my cost of doing business went up there would be a lot of
people who would be forced to forgo internet in order to be able to buy
hamburger.

While I agree we must deal with things as they apply to business, let's
not forget the vision of the internet and how it applies to real
individual people.  It is easy to fall in to the mode of thinking of the
internet as a commercial product, and forget what it started out to be,
a tremendous communication and information medium that could be applied
universally as a social tool for the masses.  If we lose sight of social
responsibility for the sake of financial responsibility then humanity
will be much the worse for our mistake.

The internet started with total anarchy and community cooperation.
Keeping as close as possible to those roots and staying as far from
governmental involvement as possible will be what keeps the internet
working and accessible for everyone.  Please consider this as you
develop new strategies.

Gee, can ya tell I used to be a hippie?

Kevin
$s/worry/happy,g