lowering maximum assignment window

Hi all,

As we discussed in our audit report at the Local IR working group at
the RIPE 32 meeting, we would like to propose a change in the maximum
assignment window that a Registry can have. Currently an assignment
window for a Registry can be anything between a 0 and a /19. The /19
assignment window, is a historical legacy. 

These Registries were for the most part free to assign up to 8192
addresses to a customer without coming to the RIPE NCC for
approval. Since some of them are still operating as Local Registries,
and they still have a /19 assignment window, this means that we have
very little contact with them and we have seen in doing audits on
these Registries that many of them are out of date with the procedures
for assigning IP addresses, and using the database. We also notice
that most of them do not really use this large assignment window
fully- meaning that most of their assignments are smaller. The router
technology has changed much in the last few years, which means that
assignments to customers in general are much smaller.

Given the fact that most Registries rarely make such large
assignments, and the fact that having such a large assignment window
makes it easy for them to lose touch with the RIPE NCC policies, we
would like to propose having a lower maximum assignment window. We
think a /21 maximum assignment window would be more
reasonable. 

Actually for most Registries, a /24 or /23 assignment window is
enough, since they rarely make larger assignments than that. However,
for the Registries that make more large customer assignments, having
up to a /21 assignment window would allow them room to make most of
these larger assignment without coming to us for approval.

Please think about this proposal and give us any comments by the end of 
next week.

Kind regards,

Paula Caslav
Registration Services Manager
RIPE NCC