IPv4 address transfers must meet policy, ARIN chief says

25.03.2011
The chief executive of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) said today that any transfer of IPv4 addresses from one organization to another will need to be compliant with established ARIN policy.

Address transfers that do not adhere to policy, or those that have not been approved by ARIN can be revoked and the addresses assigned to other parties, CEO John Curran said.

Curran was responding to Computerworld's questions regarding Microsoft's plan to from Nortel, for $7.5 million.

Nortel, a bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker, is selling the addresses as part of its continuing efforts to raise money to pay off its creditors.

The proposed transaction, which is awaiting approval by the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, has raised questions about Microsoft's motives for the purchase, as well as ARIN policy regarding such transfers.

Some speculated that the was hoarding IPv4 addresses because of dwindling supply. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in February had announced that it had , and that any supplies remaining with regional registries would soon run out.