Holy IPv6! The RIRs sent their Q1 data to the NRO, and the results show a lower IANA free pool of IPv4 addresses than expected, especially since APNIC (you know, the Asia-Pacific RIR) allocated almost 24 million IPv4 addresses – an historic high. Oh, and for only the second time ever, LACNIC issued more IPv4 address space than ARIN. Check out the new Internet Number Resource Status Report if you don’t believe me. As a side comment, that’s a whole lot of acronyms to follow.
To translate for the IPv4-challenged, the bottom line is that the Number Resource Organization (NRO) found that demand for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses continues to grow. The five global Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) oversee the allocation of all Internet number resources, and their collective Q1 results show that the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) free pool of IPv4 addresses are down to 8.5%. That’s because IP-enabled devices are snowballing, and many of the IPv4 address requests are coming from developing countries with populations coming online quickly. Even since the report came out, unallocated IPv4 addresses are down to 7.8%
But wait. Isn’t everyone transitioning to IPv6 now because it’s urgent? The five RIRs saw an increase of almost 30% the amount of IPv6 address space in 2009, which is an encouraging sign that the transition is happening. Whew. No one wants the Internet to fall down. Check back for detailed IPv6 transition issues facing telecom carrier when we talk to ARIN President and CEO John Curran.