ARIN IPv4 Countdown Plan (Retired) [Archived]

On 3 February 2011, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) issued the remaining five /8 address blocks in the global free pool equally to the five RIRs, and as such ARIN is no longer able to receive additional IPv4 resources from the IANA.

The ARIN community has worked together over the last several years in developing policy to manage how ARIN allocates and assigns IPv4 addresses. These efforts have extended the life of the IPv4 address pool in the ARIN region, but depletion of the IPv4 address pool is an impending reality. ARIN has reviewed and refined its procedures to create an IPv4 Countdown Plan explaining how IPv4 requests will be processed as the remaining IPv4 address pool is distributed.

IPv4 Countdown Plan - Retired 1 June 2016

There are a number of variables that could accelerate or slow the rate at which ARIN moves through each phase.

• Some IPv4 space may be returned to IANA in accordance with global policy
• New policies and/or larger requests could change intended plans and lead to faster depletion of the remaining IPv4 address pool.

Note: Implementation of NRPM 4.1.8.2 Fulfilling unmet needs is independent of and unrelated to the IPv4 Countdown Plan.

The Countdown Plan had four phases:

• Phase One began in February 2011 when ARIN received its last /8 from IANA.
• Phase Two began in September 2012 when ARIN reached three remaining /8 equivalents.
• Phase Three began in August 2013 when ARIN reached two remaining /8 equivalents.
• Phase Four began in April 2014 when ARIN reached one remaining /8 equivalent.
• Countdown Plan retired 1 June 2016.

Note: As ARIN moves through each phase, the current two-day response turnaround on requests may not always be met.

Phase One (February 2011 - September 2012)

• A policy was triggered, reducing the IPv4 allocation window from 12 months to three (NRPM Section 4.2.2).
• All IPv4 requests are peer reviewed. Larger IPv4 requests require senior analyst and/or department director approval.
• IPv4 address space required for NRPM 4.10, which sets aside a contiguous IPv4 /10 block to facilitate IPv6 deployment, was reserved and removed from the remaining IPv4 address pool.
• Returned, reclaimed, and revoked blocks are held for six months before going back into ARIN’s free pool for distribution

Phase Two (September 2012 - August 2013)

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• Team review by senior analysts is used for /16 and larger requests. Peer reviews take place for all other IPv4 requests. Larger IPv4 requests require department director approval.
• ARIN tracks all IPv4 request processing on a “first in, first out” basis (chronologically). This applies to handling of initial requests and all related response cycles.
• Upon approval, all IPv4 recipients have 60 days to complete payment and/or a Registration Services Agreement (RSA). On the 61st day, ARIN releases the address space back to the available pool if payment and RSA are not completed.
• The hold period for returned, reclaimed, and revoked blocks is reduced to three months.

Phase Three (Two /8 Equivalents Remaining, August 2013 - April 2014)

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• ARIN staff examines processes used in Phase Two to ensure they are working and makes any necessary modifications.
• The hold period for returned, reclaimed, and revoked blocks remains at three months.
• Request reviews remain the same as in Phase Two, and requests for larger address blocks require department director approval.
• Upon approval, IPv4 recipients have 60 days to complete payment and/or an RSA. On the 61st day, ARIN releases the address space back to the available pool if payment and RSA are not completed.

Phase Four (One /8 Equivalent Remaining, April 2014 - May 2016)

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• ARIN will track processing on all IPv4 requests on a “first in, first out” basis (chronologically). ARIN’s resource analysts will respond to tickets as they appear chronologically in the queue. Each ticket response is treated as an individual transaction, so the completion time of a single request may vary based on customer response times and the number of requests waiting in the queue.

• All requests of any size will be subject to team review. Requests of /15 and larger will require department director approval.

• Once a request is approved, the requestor will have 60 days to complete payment and return a signed RSA (if applicable). If payment and signed RSA are not received by the 61st day, the ticket will automatically close, ARIN releases the address space back into the available pool, and a new request must be submitted. This change to the approval window from 90 days to 60 days applies to all IPv4 requests, but not to IPv6 and ASN requests.

• The hold time before ARIN makes returned, reclaimed and revoked resources available for reissue is reduced from three months to 60 days.