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

[Stephen Sprunk]

Thus spake "Leo Bicknell" <bicknell at ufp.org>
> In a message written on Thu, Mar 22, 2007 at 10:40:51AM -0400, Rich > 
> Emmings wrote:
> > > What if ARIN were to implement a new fee schedule:
> > >
> > > Year Fees for IPv4 Addresses
> > > 2007 Existing rates.
> > > 2008 2 * 2007 Rates
> > > <etc deleted>
> > ...
> I did not intend the prices to apply only to new allocations, but
> to all existing allocations in my straw man idea.  Thus there would
> be no incentive to get it early, you'd still pay the higher rate next
> year.

That's what I assumed you'd meant.  We'd also need to start applying annual 
fees to IPv4 direct assignments as well, or we'd never get the big end users 
to give up their space.

I had roughly the same idea, though with a lower multiplier.  However, it's 
not within the realm of public policy to dictate what the fee schedule looks 
like.  The members may decide to do this, and I encourage them to at least 
discuss it in their forum, but AFAIK that's off-topic for PPML.

( There's also a question of what ARIN would do with all that new revenue. 
Funding new staff for reclamation, outreach programs, paying vendors to 
implement v6 in their products, etc. are all viable possibilities.  A 
radically different idea would be to use it to establish an endowment for 
ARIN that would keep fees for IPv6 low _forever_.  I'm not sure how 
compatible any of those concepts are with the charter, though, or how 
palatable they'd be to the members. )

> > The complete raminifications of IPv6 are not well enough
> > understood.
>
> Unfortunately, understanding it or not it's the only option on the
> table.  I don't see anyone in the IPX, TUBA, AppleTalk or
> DECNet camps anymore.

Those aren't viable alternatives, no, but you're deluding yourself if you 
think many companies (both ISPs and end users) won't see widespread NAT as a 
cheaper and/or easier solution than IPv6 at least in the short run.

S

Stephen Sprunk      "Those people who think they know everything
CCIE #3723         are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
K5SSS                                             --Isaac Asimov