News

As Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) uses 32-bit address space, there are over 4 billion unique addresses. Before the internet became a commercial haven and rose in popularity, the assumption was the number of these available addresses would be sufficient.

However, as every device which needs to connect to the internet requires a unique address, one thing became clear. For the internet to grow, the number of addresses has to increase. The Internet Assigned numbers Authority (IANA), the organization responsible for allocating IPv4 addresses made an important transfer on 31st January 2011. Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) received two blocks of IPv4 addresses. Due to global policy, IANA had to allocate the remainder of the address blocks to each RIR equally.

Each RIR received final /8 allocation, which is 16.8 million IPv4 addresses, depleting IANA’s pool on 3rd February 2011.

The Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC) is one of the five RIRs which has a pool of available IPv4 addresses. This organization is responsible for distributing address spaces and all relevant resources for the Asia Pacific region.

RIRs such as RIPE NCC and ARIN no longer have any available IPv4 addresses, as their pool depleted in 2019 and 2015. Although APNIC is also close to exhausting its available supply, it was able to provide addresses spaces, by following existing community policies.

Through these rules and regulations, APNIC ensured the community will continue to get IPv4 addresses for several years. As part of the policy, every APNIC member can only receive a finite amount of address space from the organization.

Through this policy, the RIR can ensure that upcoming and new networks will always have the option to connect to the internet. On February 16, 2009, APNIC introduced a policy change, to make sure community members can only get a maximum of /22 from the existing /8 pool of addresses.

On 27th May 2014, members were able to request extra /22 from APNIC’s recovered pool of IPv4 addresses. However, this allocation is independent of the available /8.

There was another change on 28th February 2019, as APNIC decreased the /8 allocation size. The initial allocation, which was /22, reduced to /23. Again, APNIC decided to update its policy, by removing the waiting list for existing IPv4 requests. According to the latest rules and regulations, members will no longer receive extra /22 address, from the recovered pool.

Any IPv4 recovered after the implementation of the latest policy will return to the final /8 address space. As per the latest figures, 99.2% of the /8 space is allocated to APNIC members. Out of the remaining 0.8%, 0.5% is available, while 0.3% is reserved.

If you are not an APNIC member, you have to fill out a form, before you can receive IPv4 addresses from the organization. As per the latest policy, you can get a maximum of /23 address space, from the available /8 pool. If you haven’t received your allocation, you need to head over to the organization’s portal MyAPNIC.

Another way you can buy or sell APNIC IPv4 addresses is to approach a registered broker specializing in this space, such as Prefixx. They will assist you at every stage of the process to ensure the transfer is seamless.

When you get in touch with Prefixx, they will help find the right buyers and sellers, depending on your requirements. The broker will also help draft a lease or purchase agreement, to reduce how much time you spend on paperwork.

If you require an allocation plan for IPv4 addresses, they will come up with a solution giving you the best value for your resources. After you find the buyer or seller, both parties need to sign the lease or purchase agreement. Once this process is complete, the funds will move to an escrow account. As a seller, you will receive the amount after the broker receives confirmation of the transfer.

Prefixx secures every transaction, to make sure the transfer of IPv4 addresses is safe for both the buyer and seller. They also have more than 12 years of experience, ensuring you get the best advice when it comes to buying and selling address blocks. If you are looking for a registered broker to buy, sell, or lease IPv4 addresses, get in with Prefixx today!