[arin-ppml] simple question about money

[michael.dillon at bt.com]

> Sale, rent, whatever. It's $1000/year that I'll have to pay 
> to use IPv6. I know there are fee waivers in the beginning, 
> but I don't care about the beginning. I care about the long 
> term, and committing to $1000/year long term for the use of 
> something that cannot possibly cost more than $10/year is, in 
> my opinion, bordering on criminal.

No, it's business. You pay rent, you pay for electricity, and you
pay wages, regardless of whether you are a non-profit or you are
Exxon. 

If you really want free, then ask your upstream for a /48 and you
won't have to pay ARIN a penny. 

> But in the fullness of time there ought to be 
> millions of people using it, and tens of millions a year is 
> the kind of thing that I expect ICANN to spend, not ARIN.

The RIRs adjust their fee structures from time to time to ensure
that they remain non-profit. I believe that the rough rule of thumb
is that they ensure their cash reserves don't rise much beyond one
year of outgoings. Fact is, that you have no say in ARIN fees unless
you are an ARIN member, which is why there is no point in discussing
fees here on the public policy mailing list.

> When you finish making fun of me for asking the question, it 
> would be good to have a factual answer.

The fact is that ARIN is not set in stone. It adjusts its policies
according
to public input on this list. It adjusts its fees according to the
wishes
of its members as expressed on their mailing list, or by the people that
they elect to the Board of Trustees.

--Michael Dillon