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Why and how to become an AFRINIC Resource Member. Know your eligibility
As a Regional Internet Registry, the allocation and assignment of Internet number resources is AFRINIC's core activity. All information related to IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, AS numbers and reverse delegations are registered in the AFRINIC database and made publicly available through our Whois database.
Resource Membership Types
An AFRINIC Resource Member is a legal entity or person that meets the requirements for Internet number resources allocations and/or assignment and who signs the Registration Service Agreement.
Resource Membership consist of the following sub-types:
Local Internet Registry (LIR): A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an Internet Registry (IR) that receives allocations from AFRINIC and primarily sub-allocates or assigns address space to their customers. LIRs are generally ISPs.
End User (EU): Any entity, corporate or individual that receive services (Number Resources assignments) directly from AFRINIC for exclusive use on its own service infrastructure.
Note: AFRINIC provides only IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, AS numbers, and reverse DNS delegations to networks in the AFRINIC service region. AFRINIC does not provide domain name registration services.
Requesting resources: Steps and Eligibility criteria
Please use the tables below to find out which AFRINIC-delegated resources you are eligible for. You can propose changes to the current criteria or other AFRINIC policies that may affect your eligibility. Post your ideas to the AFRINIC policy working group mailing list. You can first subscribe by sending mail to policy-wg-request [at] AFRINIC dot net with subscribe in the subject bar. To post to the list, send mail to policy-wg [at] AFRINIC dot net
Before submitting your application, it is recommended that you verify your eligibility for resource membership, understand what policies shall apply to your resource request and ensure you have all the required documentation as per the checklist below. If you need further clarifications regarding the requirements or you believe some requirements are not applicable to you or your organisation, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Any missing or omitted document may lead to significant delays in the conclusion of a new membership request.
Resource Membership Application Process
Step 1 Average time: 30 minutes to fill and submit the form
(1) Application
After you have reviewed the eligibility criteria for AFRINIC Membership and IP resources and you believe that you or your organisation may qualify for AFRINIC Resource Membership, you can submit your application on the New Membership Registration Portal(NMRP). You will first have to register an account on NMRP before you can submit your application.
When you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email with a ticket number - all correspondences shall be conducted and recorded in the ticket. If you believe you have additional documentation which shall ease your adherence as a member, you may reply to the email which you received and attach the documents, keeping the same subject line.
Step 1 Average time: 30 minutes to fill and submit the form
Step 2 Average time: 2 working days*
(2) Compliance checks
A member of the Customer Services team will carry out the preliminary administrative checks to determine your eligibility for AFRINIC membership. Your organisation’s registration papers(e.g Founding or Incorporation document), as well as phone numbers and email addresses provided, would be verified.
At this stage, you will also be asked to check the Registration Service Agreement (RSA) and ensure that it is filled in and signed.
Note: It is highly recommended to have more than one contact person to represent your organisation in all matters related to AFRINIC
Step 3 Average time: 4 working days*
(3) Evaluation
The request for AFRINIC Resource membership will then be handled by the Registration services team. The request will be evaluated against applicable policies and a hostmaster will contact you regarding the approval or if additional information is required.
Step 3 Average time: 4 working days*
Step 4 Average time: Invoice is due immediately after being issued.
(4) Invoicing & Payment
If your request is approved, you will receive an invoice for all the applicable fees. The invoice has a validity period of 45 days and payment can be made by electronic transfer or credit card.
If the payment is not made during the validity period, the approval of the request is deemed void and you will have to submit a new application to restart the application process.
You shall be deemed eligible for a complementary allocation if:
- 90% of all the current IP allocations have been used in an efficient manner
- Have documented the justification for each IPv4 address assignment
- AFRINIC shall request for related documentation and audit the actual usage to ensure that current assignments are valid
- All previous assignments and sub-allocations made by the LIR were efficiently done, followed policy and are registered in the AFRINIC whois database
Sub-Allocation:
IPv4 Allocation and Assignment Policy in the AFRINIC region
Only LIRs can request a sub-allocation for their downstream ISPs. LIRS cannot sub-allocate above their sub-allocation window (SAW)
- Initial SAW=0, usually raised upon request by LIR and audited by AFRINIC
- LIR responsibility to monitor efficient utilization of assignments from these sub-allocations
- LIR to ensure conservation is followed by their customers
Only LIRs can request a sub-allocation for their downstream ISPs. LIRS cannot sub-allocate above their sub-allocation window (SAW)
- Initial SAW=0, usually raised upon request by LIR and audited by AFRINIC
- LIR responsibility to monitor efficient utilization of assignments from these sub-allocations
- LIR to ensure conservation is followed by their customers
Assignement (Assigned PA):
- Section 5.2 Goals of the Internet Registry System - Section 5.3 Registration Requirements
LIRs can make assignments directly for their infrastructure and customers/end-user organizations without the need for AFRINIC hostmaster approval.
- Only First assignment will be reviewed by AFRINIC
- LIR to directly make assignments to infrastructure and end-user organisations
- LIR must make sure that assignments are registered in the AFRINIC whois database. Such assignments cannot be further reassigned to other end-users
LIR may seek second opinion from AFRINIC at anyone time
IPv6
IPv6 Address Space
Criteria
Related Policies
Initial Allocation:
- Section 6.5 Policies for allocations and assignments - Section 6.6 Assignments for Internet Experiments
Should not be an end site
Should be an LIR
Plan to provide IPv6 connectivity to organizations in the AFRINIC region
Plan to assign a reasonable number of /48's to end-sites in the AFRINIC region within 12 months
Experiments
Experiment to be defined according to RFC2026
Must be made public or published
Must not be for commercial use.
Sub-Allocation:
LIRs can sub-allocate to their downstream ISPs who will then (re)-assign to their end-users/customers. (The current IPv6 policy will be re-adjusted to take care of sub-allocations)
Assignment:
- Section 6.5.4 Assignments
Assignments of /48 or more can be made to IXP and End-Sites. It is not necessary to send in a request for this. LIR must record any assignment in the AFRINIC whois database
IPv6 Provider Independent (PI) Assignment for End-Sites
- Section 6.8 PI Assignments
The end-site must not be an IPv6
LIR The end-site must become an AFRINIC End User Member and pay the normal AFRINIC fee for its' membership category
The end site must either:
be a holder of IPv4 PI address space or
qualify for an IPv4 PI assignment from AFRINIC under the IPv4 policy currently in effect.
The end-site must justify the need for the IPv6 PI address space.
The 'end-site' must show a plan to use and announce the IPv6 provider independent address space within twelve (12) months. After that period, if not announced, the assigned IPv6 PI address space should be reclaimed and returned to the free pool by AFRINIC.
ASN
AS Numbers
Criteria
Related Policies
ASN
- Section 7.4 Eligibility for an AS Number Assignment
The organisation:
- Be an AFRINIC member in good standing or be in the process of becoming an AFRINIC member
- Should be multihomed(peering with two different ASes), or planning to be in the near future.
- Has a single, clearly defined routing policy that is different from the organisation's upstream routing policies
- Holds at least a /24 IPv4 or /48 IPv6 from an LIR or is seeking its first IP delegation from AFRINIC
IXPs
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
Criteria
Related Policies
IXP
- Section 5.6.4 PI Assignements to critical Infrastructure
The following information is needed:
- Provide evidence of legal presence in Africa. If the IXP is not a legally registered entity, another organisation may represent the IXP
- Provide the ASNs and contact details of at least three BGP peers and/or the signed MoU by the peers
- Provide evidence showing that the IXP is public and open.
Assigned Anycast
Assigned Anycast
Criteria
Related Policies
Anycast Resource Assignements:
- Section 12.0 Anycast Resource Assignment
You may use one /24 IPv4, one /48 IPv4 from existing IP delegation from AFRINIC for anycast purposes or request for a direct end-user IP assignment and AS number. You will need the following;
- Be an AFRINIC member in good standing or be in the process of becoming an AFRINIC member
- The IP resource will be used for the sole purpose of providing anycast services
- Have an upstream international connectivity or transit
- Have a network plan with details of the location for all the nodes
