New Report: How to Get IP Addresses for Your Network
Navigating the IP addressing ecosystem, including RIPE policies, can be challenging for businesses that need to get addresses. Our latest report, How to Get IP Addresses for Your Network, aims to provide a clear and concise overview of how to obtain addresses from both the RIPE NCC and external sources.
The scarcity of IPv4 addresses and the ability to transfer unused addresses between networks has created a dynamic secondary market with constantly fluctuating prices. In response, organisations are using different strategies to acquire IPv4 addresses: receiving small allocations from Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), purchasing addresses via marketplaces, entering rental agreements, and engaging in other secondary market transactions.
Many organisations are also exploring ways to make the most of their existing IPv4 addresses. Techniques such as Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT), subnetting, and IP address reclamation strategies are being deployed to optimise address space utilisation.
While these measures provide short-term solutions, the long-term sustainability of IPv4-only networks remains a concern. Ultimately, the only viable path for continued Internet growth lies in the full transition to IPv6.
Whether you're planning to launch a new network or expand an existing one, this report outlines the different available options. We collaborated with the external consultancy NEXOP to conduct a market survey and price analysis. This research, conducted in the spring of 2024, combines financial data from IPv4 transactions, current market prices from various platforms, and insights from interviews with ISPs, mobile operators, IPv4 transfer brokers, government representatives, and network consultants.
We are planning to make this document available in other languages and will look for volunteers in our community to help us with translations.