[address-policy-wg] Global Policy for post exhaustion IPv4 allocation mechanisms by the IANA

Dear Colleagues,

NRO NC is asked by the IANA Staff for a clarification on the reading of this policy, Global Policy for post exhaustion IPv4 allocation mechanisms by the IANA, in regards to "when" the first allocations from the Recovered IPv4 pool can be made. 

The Council decided to check further with the communities, hence this mail.

The policy document (http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-529) states the following:

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1.0 Recovered IPv4 Pool

….

When one of the RIRs declares it has less than a total of a /9 in its inventory, the Recovered IPv4 pool will be declared active, and IP addresses from the Recovered IPv4 Pool will be allocated as stated in Section 2.0 below.

2.0 Allocation of returned IPv4 address space by the IANA

1. Allocations from the IANA may begin once the pool is declared active.
2. In each "IPv4 allocation period", each RIR will receive a single “IPv4 allocation unit” from the IANA.
3. An "IPv4 allocation period" is defined as a 6-month period following 1 March or 1 September in each year

...
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While clause 1 seems to be pretty clear, it contains a "may" and clauses 2 and 3 together talk about "allocation periods" and that they are the “6-month period following 1 March or 1 September in each year.” 

In practice, if the pool is declared active on 1 January and IANA makes the first allocations immediately this would be outside of the allocation period, which begins at the start of March.
 
So mainly the question is about the first allocations from the the Recovered IPv4 pool; 

a) Should they be made straight away 
or 
b) Should IANA wait and make them at the start of the next "IPv4 allocation period," the "6-month period following 1 March or 1 September.


In my personal opinion I see no problems with starting straight away (option a above), and then continue the rest in the regularity of the allocation periods as stated in the policy. 

Would you agree or is your reading towards option b above? 

Please let us know of your opinions on this list until 23 February 2014. 


Kind regards
Filiz Yilmaz
as NRO NC Member from RIPE Region