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AFRINIC · RIR Watchdog

IPv4 Soft Landing Policy | AFPUB-2010-v4-005

Start here for the proposal-by-proposal record: what changed, why it mattered, who argued for what, how positions evolved, what was decided, and where the evidence still has gaps.

Source facts

Policy ID
AFPUB-2010-V4-005
RIR
AFRINIC
Official status
Unknown
Normalized status
Unknown
Introduced
Unknown
Last source update
Oct 12, 2026
Coverage
Partial

Who actually shaped the debate?

1Total participants
1Discussion contributors
UnknownFormal actors
1Discussion messages
1Effective participants
100%Top-five discussion share
1People covering 50%
1People covering 80%

Policy evolution

940776bf0ad3df33e0571b30ba73c366c275696d1bb52377856314bf61512e1e
Unknown
Source facts ↗
draft-05
Unknown
Source facts ↗

Archive placeholder replaces a substantive source capture · The newer capture is an archive placeholder identifying the IPv4 Soft Landing Draft 05 page; it contains no operative policy clauses. The older capture contains the policy text and its revision history. This is a reduction in available source detail, not evidence that the exhaustion phases, allocation limits or other provisions were repealed or replaced. A substantive Draft 05 document is needed to determine any actual change between these captures.

Debate timeline

  1. Official version

    1

    Source facts ↗
  2. Official version

    Official version

    Source facts ↗
  3. Official version

    draft-05

    Source facts ↗

Entities

Freshness: Stale
  1. Discussion messages1
    First activityDec 8, 2016
    Last activityDec 8, 2016
    First explicit stanceUnknown
    Latest explicit stanceUnknown
    Stance changes0
    Viewpoint consistencyConsistent
    Other policies10
    Freshness: Stale

    Last research attempt: Oct 4, 2026

    Identity verified: Oct 4, 2026

    POSIX · Historical
    Author(s): Jordi Palet Martinez jordi.palet[at]theipv6company.com The IPv6 Company Frank Habicht geier[at]geier.ne.tz Tanzania ISP Association Mark Elkins mje[at]posix.co.za POSIX
    www.afrinic.net
    Discussion messages
    1
    First activity
    Dec 8, 2016
    Last activity
    Dec 8, 2016
    First explicit stance
    Unknown
    Latest explicit stance
    Unknown
    Stance changes
    0
    Viewpoint consistency
    Consistent
    Other policies
    10

    First explicit stance: Unknown → Latest explicit stance: Unknown · Stance changes: 0

    Viewpoint consistency: Consistent

    The October and December 2014 anycast contributions follow a coherent line: extend access to IPv6 and AS Numbers, then clarify the technical uses and references. The separate question about foreign companies operating in Africa does not establish a vote on out-of-region limits or a reversal of that position.

    AFPUB-2012-V4-001-DRAFT-01

    Assessment: Insufficient evidence to assess consistency · The submitted text advocates extending the existing anycast policy to IPv6 and AS Numbers. This one submission establishes that proposal, but cannot by itself establish persistence or reversal over time.

    Conditions: Authorship and proposed text are distinguished from adoption or community consensus. · The stated geographic rationale concerns legitimate members supporting their networks; it is not unlimited permission for every applicant.

    The proposal modifies AFPUB-2012-V4-001 to include the option to request IPv6 space and AS Numbers for anycast purposes from AFRINIC and for AFRINIC to issue these resources to the requestors.

    Anycast resource assignments in the AFRINIC region

    Assessment: Consistent · The proposed addition of BCP169 and subsequent support for Alan's successor-reference wording are compatible steps toward clearer technical references. The later response endorses an update rather than withdrawing the earlier anycast-use objective.

    Conditions: The exact text of Alan's intervening suggestion is not reproduced in these two messages. · The expectation that the change satisfies everyone is the author's expectation, not a formal consensus decision.

    These resources must be used for the sole purposes of providing anycast services or GRX (GPRS Roaming Exchanges) as recommended in BCP126 and BCP169.

    Thanks Alan. I like that. Ernest - can you please update the current online wording to reflect what Alan says.

    Out-Of-Region Use of AFRINIC Internet Number Resources

    Assessment: Insufficient evidence to assess consistency · The question challenges a possible exclusion of foreign companies that operate in Africa. It does not supply an explicit position on the full out-of-region proposal or a second position to compare.

    Conditions: A question about company origin must not be converted into support for unrestricted use outside Africa.

    If a non African company moves into Africa - why would the policy not allow them IPv4 address space?

    AFPUB-2012-V4-001-DRAFT-01 · Anycast resource assignments in the AFRINIC region

    Assessment: Consistent · The extension submitted in October and the December reference edits share the same purpose: make IPv6 and AS Numbers available for specified anycast or GRX uses. Refining the technical references does not contradict that purpose.

    Conditions: This comparison concerns the author's submitted and proposed wording, not whether either proposal was adopted.

    This proposal allows an organization to receive an IPv4/IPv6 allocation or assignment and an AS Number purely for anycast or GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX) usage.

    This proposal allows an organization to receive an IPv4/IPv6 allocation or assignment and/or an AS Number purely for anycast or GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX) usage in line with the provisions of BCP126 and BCP169.

    AFPUB-2012-V4-001-DRAFT-01 · Out-Of-Region Use of AFRINIC Internet Number Resources

    Assessment: Insufficient evidence to assess consistency · The anycast text discusses regional members' operations regardless of physical location, while the out-of-region question asks about foreign companies operating inside Africa. Those are different eligibility dimensions; these messages do not establish contradictory rules or a complete shared position.

    Conditions: Distinguish a company's origin, membership eligibility and the physical use of its resources.

    number resources allocated/assigned by AFRINIC are used by legitimate members from the service region to support their network operations, regardless of physical location.

    If a non African company moves into Africa - why would the policy not allow them IPv4 address space?

    1. Dec 8, 2016 · Unknown

      [rpd] Soft Landing Review

      Validated evidence is unavailable.

      Source facts ↗

    Total policy messages: 36

Sources and coverage

Official policy sources

Public discussion archives

  • afrinic-rpd
    Earliest captured
    Aug 4, 2004
    Latest captured
    Aug 25, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
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    13,088
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    0
  • www.afrinic.net
  • afrinic-africann
    Earliest captured
    Aug 3, 2026
    Latest captured
    Oct 2, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
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    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    2,478
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    0
  • afrinic-afripv6-discuss
    Earliest captured
    Aug 17, 2015
    Latest captured
    Sep 18, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
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    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    2,538
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    0
  • afrinic-announce
    Earliest captured
    Aug 18, 2015
    Latest captured
    Sep 18, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
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    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    0
  • afrinic-community-discuss
    Earliest captured
    Sep 11, 2015
    Latest captured
    Dec 29, 2019
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    3,127
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  • afrinic-dbwg
    Earliest captured
    Aug 4, 2026
    Latest captured
    Oct 6, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
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    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    966
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  • afrinic-dnssec-ops
    Earliest captured
    Aug 18, 2015
    Latest captured
    Dec 1, 2016
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    307
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    0
  • afrinic-icp2-review
    Earliest captured
    Apr 10, 2025
    Latest captured
    Nov 10, 2025
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    0
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    0
  • afrinic-measurement-wg
    Earliest captured
    Feb 1, 2018
    Latest captured
    Nov 22, 2024
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    138
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    0
  • afrinic-mira
    Earliest captured
    Nov 17, 2020
    Latest captured
    Nov 22, 2024
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    0
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    0
  • afrinic-ois-wg
    Earliest captured
    Sep 9, 2021
    Latest captured
    Nov 22, 2024
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    0
    Known gaps
    0
  • afrinic-rpki-discuss
    Earliest captured
    Jan 15, 2016
    Latest captured
    Apr 23, 2026
    Last refresh
    Oct 15, 2026
    Coverage
    Source coverage is incomplete.
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    154
    Known gaps
    0

Coverage

Partial
Earliest captured: Aug 4, 2004
Latest captured: Oct 15, 2026

Freshness

Freshness: Stale · Last refresh:

Known gaps

  • www.afrinic.net: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • www.afrinic.net: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-rpd: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • www.afrinic.net: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-africann: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-afripv6-discuss: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-announce: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-community-discuss: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-dbwg: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-dnssec-ops: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-measurement-wg: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.
  • afrinic-rpki-discuss: Source coverage is incomplete. · The source boundary has not yet been reached.