Get to Know the Draft Policies Up for Discussion at ARIN 57
ARIN 57 is almost here, and we can’t wait to gather both in person and virtually! Since ARIN 56 took place last fall, one new Draft Policy has been added to the docket, bringing us to a total of six Draft Policies to be presented at ARIN 57.
To help you prepare to engage in these important conversations, here’s a look at what’s up for discussion during the ARIN 57 Public Policy and Members Meeting, taking place 19-22 April in Louisville, Kentucky, and online. Policies will be discussed on Tuesday, 21 April, so be sure to mark your calendar and register today if you’d like to participate on site in Arlington or online via Zoom.
Draft Policies
Draft Policies are works in progress managed by Advisory Council (AC) shepherds and presented to the community for feedback. If and when the AC determines a Draft Policy is ready to be presented to the community for final comments and consensus, it is moved to the next stage of the Policy Development Process (PDP): Recommended Draft Policy.
ARIN-2025-1: Clarify ISP and LIR Definitions and References to Address Ambiguity in NRPM Text
The Problem: Current policies use the terms ISP (Internet Service Provider) and LIR (Local Internet Registry) somewhat interchangeably which can be confusing. Additionally, only LIRs are defined in Section 2 while ISPs are not.
What It Does: This draft policy adds clarity by clearly defining ISP and LIR, and updating the ARIN Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) to reference LIR, where appropriate.
The Impact: Most instances of “ISP” would be changed to “LIR.” This should simplify language in the NRPM, and also aligns with language used at the other RIRs.
ARIN-2025-3: Change Section 9 Out Of Region Use Minimum Criteria
The Problem: Current ARIN policy allows IPv4 addresses to be used outside the ARIN service region if the organization is using an IPv4 /22 (or equivalent aggregate) within the ARIN service region. This draft policy suggests the /22 requirement harms smaller organizations that have less than a /22 in region but do require some out of region use.
What It Does: This draft policy reduces the in-region usage requirement from /22 to a /24.
The Impact: This draft policy would allow usage of ARIN issued space outside of the ARIN region as long as the organization is using at least a /24 within the ARIN region.
ARIN-2025-6: Fix Formula in 6.5.2.1c
The Problem: Section 6.5.2 in the NRPM contains policies around the initial allocation of IPv6 addresses to LIRs. The maximum initial allocation requirements are described by a text description as well as an equation. This draft policy intends to make a correction to the equation. The definition for “Provider Assignment Unit” also requires updating to “Allocation” to align with current practice.
What It Does: This draft policy corrects the formula, and updates “Provider Assignment Unit” to “Provider Allocation Unit.”
The Impact: Correction of the formula and updating of the definition text would add clarity and consistency to the NRPM.
ARIN-2025-7: Make Policy in 6.5.8.2 Match the Examples
The Problem: Section 6.5.8.2 in the NRPM describes the requirements for an initial allocation of IPv6 addresses to end user organizations based on the number of sites in an organization’s network, but it could more clearly state how this applies to organizations with only one site.
What it Does: This draft policy intends to make clear that organizations with only one site qualify for an IPv6 /48.
The Impact: This update would clarify language for end user initial allocations in the NRPM.
ARIN-2025-8: Reserve 4.10 space for In-Region Use
The Problem: NRPM section 4.10 reserves IPv4 space to facilitate IPv6 deployment. There are currently no restrictions on out-of-region use beyond the general requirements set forth in Section 9. Because use of these allocations outside the ARIN service region appears inconsistent with the original intent of this address space the prohibition of such use should be explicitly codified in policy to provide clarity and consistency in implementation.
What it Does: This draft policy modifies Section 4.10 to explicitly restrict the special reserved IPv4 space, reserved to support IPv6 deployment, for use only within ARIN’s service region.
The Impact: This draft policy aligns with current ARIN staff implementation. IPv4 space issued from this special reserved block of IP addresses can only be used within the ARIN region. These IP addresses are not applicable to section 9 Out of Region Use policy.
ARIN-2026-1: Taking IP To Other Planets (TIPTOP)
The Problem: Space exploration organizations are deploying IP-based networks beyond Earth orbit — on the Moon and in deep-space environments — but they are currently utilizing address space from multiple RIRs with no coordination. The use of unrelated terrestrial address allocations introduces routing scalability concerns.
What it Does: The policy is being developed jointly with the IETF TIPTOP working group. The policy would allow the allocation of both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses specifically for organizations operating networking infrastructure in outer space (beyond geostationary orbit), with addresses organized hierarchically around celestial regions like the Moon and other planetary systems. It also introduces a new definition, the Extra-Terrestrial Network (ETN), and creates dedicated sections in the NRPM for both IPv4 and IPv6 space ETN allocations.
The Impact: This draft policy establishes a framework for extraterrestrial networking.
Participate in Our Policy Discussions
ARIN policy belongs to the community, and we encourage everyone to join the conversation. We look forward to hearing your ideas during ARIN 57, and we hope these simple summaries help you feel prepared and comfortable enough to speak up and share your opinions — or ask any questions of our AC shepherds.
For our virtual participants, you must join the meeting via Zoom as a registered attendee to participate in policy discussions. The livestream will be available on YouTube to all who wish to view the proceedings.
Contribute to the Future of Internet Policy
If you’d like to submit your own Internet number resource policy proposal, fill out our brief template and email it to policy@arin.net. Don’t stress about wording your proposal perfectly — our AC will work with you to polish it so it can move through the PDP.
Additional resources on the PDP can be found on the following webpages:
- Public Policy Mailing List (PPML)
- ARIN Advisory Council
- Current Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM)
We’ll see you at ARIN 57!
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