Dynamic IPv4 Pools Exhaustion Management Framework

Details
Proposal

Details

Name of Proposal	Dynamic IPv4 Pools Exhaustion Management Framework	Status:	Under Discussion
ID:	AFPUB-2026-IPv4-003-DRAFT01	Date Submitted:	08/06/2026
Author(s):	Adeola A. P. AINA aalain[at]digitalintelligence.africa	Version:	1.0
Obsoletes:		Amends:	The Soft Landing policy, Section 5.4 of the CPM
Co-authors:	Contact the author if you wish to be a co-author.

1. Definitions

Delegation — IPv4 Allocation to LIRs or Assignment to End-Users.
Recovered Space — Any IPv4 resources returned, revoked, reclaimed, or otherwise recovered by AFRINIC.
Legacy Space — Delegations prior to the RIR system and tagged as Legacy by AFRINIC.
Soft-Landing Pool — The IPv4 pool administered under CPM Section 5.4 (Soft-Landing Phase 2).
Policy-Reserved Pool — Dedicated IPv4 blocks reserved for specific sub-policies (e.g., IXPs, Critical Infrastructure).
Pre-Softlanding Pool — A reserve pool replenished exclusively by recovered space originating from pre-Soft-Landing delegations, allocations from IANA-recovered space and unclaimed or un-registered Legacy space.
Recovered Pool — The initial administrative holding area for all recovered IPv4 space prior to classification.
Post-Exhaustion Waiting List — A structured queue used once both primary pools are fully depleted.
Immediate Infrastructural Need — A documented requirement for IPv4 resources essential to maintain or activate operational network services.

2. Problem Statement

2.1 Summary of the Problem

AFRINIC entered Soft-Landing Phase 2 in 2020 when the remaining non-reserved IPv4 space fell below one /11. Current delegation rates indicate:

Approximately 2 years remain before depletion of the active Soft-Landing Pool.
Approximately 3 additional years remain before depletion of the /12 block reserved for future use.
More than 3 million IPv4 addresses have been recovered and currently fall under Soft-Landing Phase 2 rules by default.

Operational data shows that several members have obtained more than 8 × /22 (/19) within a calendar year by submitting multiple sequential requests, revealing gaps in the current framework.

The existing CPM lacks:

A structured mechanism to classify and return recovered space to its appropriate pool.
A predictable replenishment pipeline for IPv4 resources.
A post-exhaustion delegation framework.
Automated operational triggers that adjust delegation behaviour based on pool health.
Protections against gaming through repeated small requests.

2.2 Summary of How This Proposal Addresses the Problem

This proposal introduces:

A multi-pool IPv4 management architecture with clear replenishment rules.
A tiered delegation framework that prioritises pre Soft-Landing recovered space.
A post-exhaustion waiting list with strict rationing and fairness rules.
A trace-back mechanism ensuring recovered space returns to its rightful pool.
Operational transparency and anti-gaming protections.

Proposal

3. Proposed Solution

3.1 IPv4 Pools

This policy establishes four distinct IPv4 management pools:

Soft-Landing Pool — Administered under CPM 5.4 Phase 2 rules.
Policy-Reserved Pools — Dedicated pools for sub-policies such as IXPs and Critical Infrastructure.
Pre-Softlanding Pool — Replenished exclusively by:
- Unclaimed or un-registered Legacy space
- Delegations predating the soft-landing era
- Allocations from the IANA Recovered IPv4 Pool
Recovered Pool — Temporary holding area for all recovered space prior to classification.

Operational Requirements:

All pools must be tracked independently in AFRINIC's inventory system.
Movements between pools must be auditable and publicly reportable.

3.2 Operational Rules

Rule 1 — Classification of Recovered Space

All recovered space shall first enter the Recovered Pool.
AFRINIC staff shall trace each block to its original source pool category.
Space shall be returned to that source pool.
If the source cannot be determined with reasonable certainty, the space shall default to the Pre-Softlanding Pool.
Partial blocks shall be classified proportionally based on their traceable origin.
Classification actions shall be documented and publicly announced.
AFRINIC shall minimise fragmentation when reassigning recovered space.

Rule 2 — Delegation Rules for the Pre-Softlanding Pool

The Pre-Softlanding Pool serves as the primary evaluation layer.

Maximum delegation size: /18 per request.
Minimum delegation size: /24
Justification period: 12 months
Pre-use requirement: Applicants must provide evidence of efficient utilisation of all prior delegations to 80%.
Extended maximum: Up to /16 if the member provides:
- Documented growth metrics
- A verifiable deployment plan

Members may not submit multiple concurrent or sequential requests intended to aggregate beyond the maximum delegation size.

Rule 3 — Automatic Deferral to the Soft-Landing Pool

If a request cannot be satisfied by available blocks in the Pre-Softlanding Pool:

The request shall be automatically deferred to the Soft-Landing Pool.
AFRINIC staff must document the deferral and notify the applicant.
Soft-Landing Phase 2 conditions, as defined in CPM Section 5.4, shall apply to all delegations made under this deferral mechanism.

Rule 4 — Post-Exhaustion Waiting List Framework

When both the Soft-Landing Pool and Pre-Softlanding Pool reach zero available space, all IPv4 delegations shall be managed exclusively through a Post-Exhaustion Waiting List.

4.1 Feeding Mechanism

The Recovered Pool becomes the sole source of IPv4 space for the waiting list.

4.2 Queue Rules

Requests must demonstrate immediate infrastructural need.
Queue operates strictly first-come, first-served.
Only one active position per organisation or related entity.
Requests expire after 30 days if the member does not respond.
Mergers or acquisitions involving entities on the list shall result in consolidation to a single queue position.

4.3 Delegation Sizes

Maximum: /23
Minimum: /24, unless global routing standards or internet community consensus officially shift the minimum universally routable prefix size below a /24, in which case AFRINIC shall align its minimum allocation floor to match the new global standard.
If a /23 is justified but only a /24 is available, the member may accept the /24 without losing queue position.

4.4 Deployment Requirement

Delegated space must be fully deployed within 6 months.
After deployment, the member may re-apply at the bottom of the queue.

4.5 Transparency Requirements

AFRINIC shall publish monthly:

Queue length
Total addresses available
Average wait time
Total recovered space processed

Rule 5 — Transfer of IPv4 Addresses

Address space delegated from the Pre-Softlanding Pool and later on from the waiting list will not be eligible for transfer, with the exception of Mergers, Acquisitions and Takeovers, for a period of 24 months. Transfer restrictions on delegations from the Soft-Landing Pool shall apply.

5. Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge community feedback and operational insights from AFRINIC staff that informed this revised framework.

6. References

AFRINIC Policy Implementation Experience Report
AFRINIC Statistics Portal
IANA Recovered IPv4 Pool Procedures
Global RIR IPv4 Exhaustion Models

7. Situation in Other Regions

7.1 APNIC

APNIC managed its final /8 by limiting allocations to a strict maximum size per member. Initially set to a /22, it was later reduced to a /23. On 2 July 2019, APNIC implemented Prop-129, which completely abolished the waiting list for unmet IPv4 requests due to the lack of a predictable stream of recovered space. Instead, APNIC continues to delegate up to a strict total lifetime maximum of a /23 per member exclusively from its remaining 103/8 pool and a separate pool of recovered non-103 space. Allocations from these scarce resource pools are held from voluntary transfer for a period of 24 months.

7.2 LACNIC

LACNIC officially reached total exhaustion of its remaining non-recovered pools on 19 August 2020, triggering a permanent waiting list system funded strictly by returned, revoked, and recovered space after a mandatory 6-month quarantine. Under the LACNIC Waitlist Policy, approved organisations that have assigned IPv6 are placed in a first-come, first-served queue with a maximum allocation cap of a /22. Space allocated from the LACNIC waiting list is restricted from voluntary transfer for a period of 36 months.

7.3 RIPE NCC

Following complete depletion of its available free pools, RIPE NCC implemented a strict post-exhaustion waiting list. Under the current RIPE IPv4 Waiting List Policy, allocations are restricted to exactly one /24 per Local Internet Registry (LIR), provided the LIR has never received an IPv4 allocation from RIPE NCC before. Allocations from this waiting list are held from voluntary transfer for a period of 24 months.

7.4 ARIN

ARIN initially deployed an unrestricted waiting list. Because it lacked strong caps, the queue faced systemic gaming, forcing the ARIN Board to temporarily suspend the waiting list in 2019. ARIN subsequently reinstated the list with strict anti-gaming parameters: organisations holding more than a /20 equivalent in aggregate are entirely ineligible to apply, and the maximum allocation size is capped at a /22. Space distributed from the ARIN IPv4 Waiting List cannot be transferred to another organisation for 60 months, except in cases of corporate mergers, acquisitions, or takeovers.