IPv4 and Auctions

Thu Oct 24 14:43:15 UTC 2019

Since you mentioned Hilco specifically. . .

IPv4.Global is the IPv4 address brokerage operated by Hilco Streambank. 
We match organizations who have more IPv4 address space than they need 
with organizations who need more IPv4 address space than they have. This 
is consistent with ARIN's Number Resource Policy Manual sections 8.3. 
and 8.4 
https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/nrpm/#8-3-transfers-between-specified-recipients-within-the-arin-region

I was on the ARIN Board when we approved this policy in 2008. The 
compelling argument to me was that this market would improve overall 
utilization of address space, and would be more efficient than ARIN 
trying to reclaim unused or lightly used address blocks. There are a lot 
of cases where pre-RIR, the justification was minimal, and 
organizational needs may change over the intervening 20-40 years.

Part of the interest, to me, was that many organizations who had 
received their allocations prior to ARIN's existence did not recognize 
ARIN's authority to reclaim their space. Even if ARIN prevailed in 
court, it would have been costly.

Not only that, but there's no minimum utilization requirement to keep 
addresses. You must show 50-80% utilization to get more, but what if you 
aren't asking for more? Would ARIN reclaim a block that was only 45% 
used? 25%? 1%?

In each of the more than 1500 transfers IPv4.Global has handled, the 
recipient has had to satisfy their need under the rules of the RIR in 
which they operate.

ARIN's policies are established by community consensus. ARIN's Public 
Policy Mailing List (ppml) is open, and there's a designated open 
microphone time at the end of the meeting next Thursday. If you won't be 
there in person, remote participation is pretty good.

I'm always happy to talk about this, either one on one, or if there are 
other folks at NANOG/ARIN next week who want to get together to chat, 
I'd be happy to facilitate.

Lee

On 10/24/19 8:08 AM, Matt Hoppes wrote:
> A thought crossed my mind the other day as I was having a discussion with someone.
>
> Every entity is suppose to justify their need for IPv4 address space from ARIN. This was always (in recent history) the case.
>
> No entity is suppose to be given more IPv4 space until they have nearly exhausted their previous space.
>
> How is it, then, that we daily for the last 2-3 years have places like Hilco that have sometimes 15-20 large IPv4 blocks up for auction?
>
> Supposedly we are completely out of IPv4 space, yet every day large blocks are being sold for money, yet they were never returned because they weren’t needed.
>
> Another thought: being that IPv4 address space is essentially leased to you from ARIN, can you even legally auction your space to someone else? I know it’s happening, but it would almost be like me auctioning my apartment to another random person.
>