Is there currently a shortage of IPv4 addresses?

Tue Aug 4 21:31:13 UTC 2020

> On Aug 4, 2020, at 1:01 PM, Tom Beecher <beecher at beecher.cc> wrote:
> 
> The only other option then becomes the secondary transfer markets, where costs to acquire v4 space are much higher than what direct allocations from the RIRs used to be. 
> 
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2020 at 3:35 PM Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. <amitchell at isipp.com> wrote:
>> I know that a shortage of IPv4 addresses has been anticipated for quite some time (literally decades), however, is there a shortage *right now*?
>> 
>> I ask, because Liquid Web is using it as an excuse to raise their prices:
>> 
>> "We're contacting you today to inform you of a change to your account. As you may know, the global shortage of IPv4 addresses (https://www.ripe.net/manage-ips-and-asns/ipv4/ipv4-run-out) continues to impact web hosting companies around the world. ... Effective August 31st, we will be updating our per IPv4 address price to $2.00 per IP."

For an overview of open market pricing, you might look at https://ipv4marketgroup.com/ipv4-pricing/.

You may also find this talk interesting in context:
Mythic Beasts, which is a data center operator in London, gave a talk to the IPv6 Operations Working Group in the IETF two years ago, and used these slides: https://www.ietf.org/proceedings/101/slides/slides-101-v6ops-ipv6-only-hosting-00. If you look through them, you'll find a discussion of the address shortage and what impact it has on pricing from them.

In short, Mythic Beasts find that IPv6 service is virtually free, and don't charge for it. They find that when a customer pushes them to also give IPv4 addressing, they have to charge, as it costs them, and they find that making the customer engineer explain to his/her bean counters why the need it often has the effect of convincing the company to use IPv6 externally. https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ipv6atmythicbeasts-networkshop44-160323133644/95/ipv6-at-mythic-beasts-networkshop44-19-638.jpg?cb=1458740321

In short, yes, there is a shortage of IPv4 addresses, and the net result is both an increase in price and an increase in network complexity. 

Is there *currently* a shortage of IPv4 addresses?

Is there currently a shortage of IPv4 addresses?