Regional internet registrar APNIC today revealed it had reached the last in its pool of IPv4 addresses, triggering rationing for its remaining supply.
Allocations will now be limited to a maximum of 1,024 new addresses to each member, and applicants will have to meet an application criteria, APNIC said.
“Considering the ongoing demand for IP addresses, this date effectively represents IPv4 exhaustion for many of the current operators in the Asia-Pacific region,” APNIC director general Paul Wilson said. “From this day onwards IPv6 is mandatory for building new internet networks and services.”
He said the policy was designed to ensure that new operators can secure enough IPv4 address space to start operations, and to leave enough address space for the transition to IPv6. But he cautioned the plan will not be enough to maintain Asia's internet development rates with IPv4 alone.
“APAC must quickly become the leader in IPv6 deployment so that it can maintain strong internet growth rates in large maturing economies such as India and China,” he said. “Any organization that wishes to remain viable must push forward with their IPv6 deployment.”
The NRO assigned the last of five blocks of around 16.7 million IPv4 addresses to each of the regional internet registries in February.
Microsoft paid $7.5 million to buy 666,624 IPv4 addresses from Nortel last month, leading to speculation that a “gray market” for IPv4 address sales between companies is starting to emerge.