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-----Original Message----- From: address-policy-wg-admin@ripe.net [mailto:address-policy-wg- admin@ripe.net] On Behalf Of michael.dillon@bt.com Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 2:03 PM To: address-policy-wg@ripe.net
Let me describe a real situation that we have with some of our customers. One of several IP networks that we operate is called Radianz. This network has PoPs in 120 countries and has over 3000 customers connected to it, many of them with multiple connections in different cities. This network is an internetwork because it interconnects the networks of 3000 other organizations. In order to function, this network requires globally unique IP addresses to be used for each of its member networks even though it is not connected to the Internet.
The Radianz network is not a private network. It is also not a public network. But it is a SHARED network just like the public Internet. Then Radianz could easily create its own rules without bothering the World, couldn't it? And so - use ANY IP addresses. Why should I see the internal networks (I use corrected "private" meanings) of Radianz or other such companys? If it is NEVER interact with my or the most of other networks in the Internet?
Historically, IANA has always allocated globally unique IP addresses to organizations on this type of shared network. When RFC 2050 was written by authors from the RIRs, including RIPE, they included this text:
the organization has no intention of connecting to the Internet-either now or in the future-but it still requires a globally unique IP address. The organization should consider using reserved addresses from RFC1918. If it is determined this is not possible, they can be issued unique (if not Internet routable) IP addresses.
Now, the "historically" invented state should be corrected. Not all IPv4 practice should be automatically go to IPv6. Several of them are too company-specific rather than serve ALL community.
A very large number of organizations depend on these internetworks, and they would not be terribly happy if ISPs would hijack the entire IP address space for their own profits. But I think that the RIR boards understand this and have no intention of changing the rules to reserve IP addresses only for the public Internet.
A very large, but not all! A very large number of organization (I think much more than for Radianz) depends on the services, not presented here and not gain any good from that. Vladislav Potapov Ru.iiat