APNIC Policy Proposal Makes 2-byte AS Harder To Get

A new Policy proposal to be discussed at the Christchurch APNIC open policy meeting would add another stage to the migration from 2-byte to 4-byte AS numbers.

The policy, put forward by James Spenceley, CEO of Vocus, seeks to create awareness earlier within the community for the need to support 4-byte AS numbers without mandating an absolute final adoption of 4-byte AS numbers.

If accepted, applicants would have to demonstrate that a 4-byte Autonomous System number is unworkable in their current environment before they could access the diminishing pool of unallocated 2-byte AS numbers.

The more stringent qualification would come into force from 1 July 2009 and be in effect until 1 January 2010. At that point the, already agreed, Policy will be to assign 4-byte AS numbers.

The current policy, which has also been accepted by the other four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) has three critical dates with associated policy changes for the assignment of 4-byte AS numbers.

These are first to begin assigning 4-byte on request from 1 January 2007. Followed by a switch to assigning 4=-byte numbers by default with an option to request a 2-byte number. This will take place from 1 January 2009.

In the third policy phase, from 1 January 2010, there will be no distinction between 2- and 4-byte AS numbers and APNIC (with other RIRs) will make assignments from an undifferentiated 4-byte AS number pool.

If the Asia Pacific community accepts the new proposed Policy to introduce more stringent qualification process a similar policy will likely be proposed to the RIRs in the other regions.