Allocations for "always-on" ISPs

Dear Bruno,


 Bruno Ciscato <bruno at flashnet.it> writes:
 * Hi!
 * With the advent of technologies like ADSL and Ethernet to the 
home, several
 * new ISP in Europe are starting to offer "always on" Internet 
access.
 * The allocation strategies vary, if they give a subnet to each 
household this
 *  is usually a /29, if they group more than one household in each 
subnet the
 * average IPv4 address consumption by each household can be a little 
less.
 * In any case they need a lot of addresses, i.e. a few millions.
 * Can someone help me to see if what I think it would happen is 
correct?
 * 1) they request address space to RIPE, with a nicely written 
documentation t
 * hat clearly shows that they need millions of addresses
 * 2) nonetheless they won't receive more than a /20 to begin with

It is correct that all LIRs receive a /20 as a *first* Allocation. 
This is to ensure a fair distribution of address space.

 * 3) when they have used more than 80% of this /20, and can prove 
it,  another
 *  one will be assigned, most likely not contiguous

This is not entirely correct.

Yes, the LIR does need to show 80% utilisation. Depending on how 
quickly the LIR comes back, the LIR might be able to get a contiguous 
block of addresses. If the first allocation is used up very quickly, 
the higher the chances that the next allocation is contiguous.

The future allocations are not necessarily a /20 however. Based on 
the utilisation rate of the initial /20 Allocation, the LIR will 
receive an allocation, presumably large enough to cover the need in 
the following two years. In other words: the first allocation is a 
/20, the future allocation is based on the utilisation rate.

If the second allocation is larger than a /20 and there is a /20 
contiguous to first allocation available, the LIR is asked whether 
they want the contiguous /20 plus another separate range to cover the 
full needs, or if they prefer getting the entire second (larger) 
allocation from a separate address range.

Hope this made things clearer.
Cheers,


-- 
Nurani Nimpuno
Registration Services Manager
RIPE NCC


As Bhabuta pointed out, this depends

 * 4) and so on and so forth, at a very fast pace,  until they will 
have a very
 *  fragmented address space
 * Is this correct ?
 * Is it safe to assume that if they start using public address, 
where really n
 * eeded, they will always receive new allocations if they can prove 
they need
 * it until IPv4 addresses last ?
 * Is there any way to reduce the address space fragmentation due to 
new non co
 * ntiguous allocations ?
 * 
 * Thanks
 * 
 * bruno
 * 
 * 
 *