[General-members] Consultation on Approaches for Adjusting the ARIN Registration Services Plan Fee Schedule

[ARIN]

The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is currently evaluating potential methods to adjust our Registration Services Plan Fee Schedule and is inviting feedback from the community (https://www.arin.net/participate/community/acsp/consultations/2024/2024-2/). Our goal is to maintain a balanced alignment between operating costs and revenue, ensuring equitable cost recovery across our diverse community.

In the past, ARIN has chosen not to automatically adjust the fee schedule annually, instead opting for larger, less frequent adjustments based on the changing landscape of ARIN’s operating costs. These costs include variations in staffing expenses, such as salaries and healthcare, as well as fluctuations in the cost of contracted services.

Given the ongoing nature of these expenses, and in pursuit of a sustainable fiscal strategy, the ARIN Board of Trustees is considering two distinct approaches for future fee adjustments:

Option A
Continue with the current practice of periodically reviewing the alignment between annual revenue and operating costs. Following community consultation, necessary adjustments would be made to the registration services fees to address any discrepancies and recover reserves used during periods of misalignment. This method has been effective but can lead to significant and unpredictable fee increases.

Option B
Introduce a structured approach to fee adjustments, allowing for an annual increase of no more than 5%, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. This strategy aims to offer a predictable and manageable escalation in fees, aligning more closely with the budget planning processes of many organizations within our community.

The ARIN Board of Trustees is exploring the feasibility of adopting Option B, which would include a specific amendment to the Registration Services Plan Fee Schedule stating, “The annual Registration Services Plan fee for each service category is subject to an annual increase (as approved by the ARIN Board of Trustees) of no greater than 5%.” We are seeking community input on this potential adjustment to the fee schedule.

Please view the proposed Registration Services Plan Fee Schedule (with italicized markup for proposed addition) at:

https://www.arin.net/resources/fees/fee_schedule/adjusting_fee_schedule_proposed/

This consultation will be open for 30 days. Following this period, a summary of the feedback received will be presented to the Board of Trustees for their consideration.

We encourage the community to share their perspectives and preferences regarding these options. Please send your comments to arin-consult at arin.net. You can subscribe to this mailing list at: http://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-consult.

The discussion on arin-consult at arin.net will conclude at 5:00 PM ET on Friday, 3 May.

Regards,

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