Allocations for "always-on" ISPs

         Hi Bruno,

         I think the world's moving towards always-on access. The wide 
deployment of flat-rate access and DSL service is a clear signal about 
this. As times goes by more and more equipment will be 'tcpized' and also 
Cisco's appliance program is another signal of this. Always on access and 
tcpized equipment means public address space increased needs. More users 
mean more ip space needed.

         The point is not to create strict rules based on who-you-are, but 
to strengthen the address allocation rules. So I think is a big mistake to 
define the size of a 'residential' subnet. A residential customer has to 
get one address as long as he/she does not need any more. The same for a 
small office or, why not, for a company. Only when the end user has a 
justified (what a deep concept :)) need of public IP addresses he/she's the 
right to get them (avoiding abuses and abnormal concentrations). As long as 
IP addresses will be available. When the addresses will be really scarce 
maybe that the infrastructural allocations will HAVE to have precedence.

         I don't think we're in an emergency _NOW_, as a bright 
reorganization could free lots of address space, but as the 'golden minds' 
of the internet showed us in the past (writing RFCs and drafts) we've to 
look at the future. Talk about this in eastern countries. Why there's so 
much interest towards IPv6 there ? There's a lot of people there. There'll 
be a lot of equipment, they'll need public space. Why IIJ (Internet 
Initiative Japan) is official sponsor of the Global IPv6 Summit in Japan ? 
Why NTT (Nippon Telephone and Telegraph) is higly interested in 
experimenting IPv6 trials also in Europe ? Why RIPE is involved GPRS 
infrastructure with GSM association ? Well, there's people thinking to the 
future, we're lucky.

         This does not mean that we'll see IPv6 anytime soon, especially in 
Europe I think. Large companies are too interested, at now, to collect 
users whatever way (commercial or technical mean) they succeed to connect 
them. IPv6 is too complicated to be explained and comprehended by the 
masses before it will become really 'commoditized' and autoconfigurable. 
But fortunately vendors are starting to release betas (think to Microsoft 
and Cisco) and who wants to use IPv6 is able at least to experiment (just 
think to the 6bone).

         I think that if we want to stop exchanging emails and wandering 
about allocations we just need to make people aware of the problem and get 
them to become future-looking. But lots of humans are just unable to do 
that as they will only understand a "no more IPv4 addresses" error message. 
Dull and real.

         I just hope that very few people like that are heading large IP 
carriers.

         Have a nice time you all and thanks to RIPE, as thanks to its 
activity european customers       have still addresses to be allocated.

         Hoping to have not bothered I wish you a pleasant day.



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         Dott. Giuliano Peritore - g.peritore at panservice.it
         Direzione - Panservice
         Servizi professionali per Internet ed il Networking
         Panservice e' associata AIIP -- RIPE Local Registry
         Phone: +39 0773 410020 Fax +39 0773 470219
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