I’ll double down. What threat does a hobbyist pose to the global routing or Internet numbers systems?
Presumably someone going through this process isn’t your average home-labber; what’s the harm in them having a block of their own unique IPv6 if they pay the bill on-time? There are plenty of tunnel services that make this a viable option these days. I’m prepared to be eaten alive for the suggestion. Matt Erculiani On Fri, May 30, 2025 at 12:30 Tyler O'Meara via ARIN-PPML < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Ben, > > I don't think a categorical exclusion for "hobbyists" (whatever that > actually > means in practice) is necessary or useful. The relevant sections for > resource > justifications already require operating an actual network, so someone (or > organization) who wanted to come in and get IP addresses without running a > network would already be excluded. I suppose theoretically they could > request a > single ASN, but if they're not planning on actually running a network that > ASN > is worthless to them anyways. > > I'll also note that not all valid use cases for acquiring resources > necessitate > participating in global routing, although I doubt those use cases are > particularly relevant to natural persons. We should be careful not to > accidentally remove these use cases however. > > Tyler > > On Fri, 2025-05-30 at 11:12 -0700, Ben Shapiro wrote: > > Thank you David, for the thoughtful revisions and to ARIN staff for > > progressing this discussion. > > > > As someone involved in the operation of a small-to-medium Internet > Exchange > > Point (IXP), I’d like to offer a complementary perspective from the > > interconnection and community network operator ecosystem. > > > > IXPs—particularly regional, volunteer-run, or lightly incorporated > > ones—frequently interface with a range of participants, including small > ISPs, > > research networks, community fiber projects, and technically capable > > individuals who operate networks that meaningfully contribute to regional > > interconnection and resiliency. Some of these operators do not have > formal > > corporate structures, yet they are deeply engaged in the technical and > > operational requirements of network management and peering. From our > vantage > > point, the exclusion of natural persons from eligibility can pose an > > artificial barrier that does not align with real-world routing and > > interconnection practices. > > > > While I agree with David that natural persons operating legal businesses > > should unquestionably be considered valid organizations, I also see > > operational value in supporting natural persons who: > > > > * Operate autonomous systems used in peering environments; > > * Maintain IPv6 prefixes with global routing visibility; > > * Support last-mile, experimental, or community-focused efforts. > > > > Such actors are already required to justify their needs under existing > ARIN > > policies. Adding verification of identity and residency, as the draft > > suggests, provides accountability without unduly excluding legitimate > network > > operators who do not or cannot register as a business. > > > > From the IXP perspective, clarity is important. I support revising the > policy > > language to explicitly differentiate: > > > > 1. Hobbyists with no operational network or intent to participate in > global > > routing (not eligible), > > 2. Natural persons operating a routable, justified network > (eligible), and > > 3. Natural persons operating a legal business (clearly eligible). > > > > A possible refinement might be: > > > > > An organization is a company, corporation, partnership, sole > proprietorship, > > > government agency, non-profit entity, educational institution, or > natural > > > person who operates a network consistent with ARIN’s resource > justification > > > requirements and, where applicable, provides verification of identity > and > > > residency. A natural person solely acting as a hobbyist is not > considered an > > > organization. > > > > This language allows for policy consistency while acknowledging that > technical > > legitimacy can come in many forms. > > > > Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I support further refinement > of this > > proposal and appreciate ARIN’s responsiveness to community input. > > > > Best regards, > > Ben > > > > > > BEN SHAPIRO > > President | Willamette Internet Exchange > > [email protected] | (541) 255-0280 > > > > > > On May 30, 2025 at 10:59:00 AM, David Farmer via ARIN-PPML > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > I do not support the policy as written. As written, it is unclear > whether > > > natural persons not conducting business and acting solely as hobbyists > are > > > excluded. However, natural persons operating businesses in their own > name > > > should be considered valid organizations. > > > > > > Organizations must; > > > 1. Operate as legal businesses within the ARIN service region. > > > 2. Operate a network within the ARIN service region with Internet > number > > > resources allocated by or registered with ARIN. > > > 3. Meet other policy or eligibility criteria. > > > From a policy perspective, the first two are fundamental criteria > that must > > > be included in the definition of an organization. > > > > > > I suggest the following revision to the policy text; > > > > > > > 2.x Organization > > > > > > > An organization is a company, corporation, partnership, sole > > > > proprietorship, government agency, non-profit entity, educational > > > > institution, or natural person operating as a legal business within > the > > > > ARIN service region. It must also operate a network within the ARIN > > > > service region with Internet number resources allocated by or > registered > > > > with ARIN and meet other policy or eligibility criteria. > > > > > > I also want to point out the recent blog post by ARIN Staff about this > > > subject. > > > https://www.arin.net/blog/2025/05/28/individual-requests/ > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > On Tue, May 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM ARIN <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On 15 May 2025, the ARIN Advisory Council (AC) accepted > ARIN-prop-343: > > > > Resource Issuance to Natural Persons as Draft Policy. > > > > > > > > Draft Policy ARIN-2025-4 is below and can be found at: > > > > > > > > https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/drafts/2025_4 > > > > > > > > You are encouraged to discuss all Draft Policies on PPML. The AC will > > > > evaluate the discussion to assess the conformance of this draft > policy > > > > with ARIN's Principles of Internet number resource policy as stated > in the > > > > Policy Development Process (PDP). Specifically, these principles are: > > > > > > > > * Enabling Fair and Impartial Number Resource Administration > > > > * Technically Sound > > > > * Supported by the Community > > > > > > > > The PDP can be found at: > > > > > > > > https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/pdp/ > > > > > > > > Draft Policies and Proposals under discussion can be found at: > > > > > > > > https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/drafts/ > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > Eddie Diego > > > > Policy Analyst > > > > American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Draft Policy ARIN-2025-4: Resource Issuance to Natural Persons > > > > > > > > Problem Statement: > > > > > > > > ARIN policies currently restrict the issuance of number resources to > > > > organizations. This limits access for individuals who are running > networks > > > > under their own legal name, especially in regions where forming or > > > > registering a business is not required or feasible. Other RIRs such > as > > > > RIPE NCC allow individuals to receive resources directly. ARIN should > > > > consider similar flexibility to ensure equal and consistent access to > > > > Internet number resources for all operators, regardless of legal > > > > structure. > > > > > > > > Policy Statement: > > > > > > > > This proposal introduces explicit policy text into the NRPM to allow > > > > number resource issuance to natural persons (individuals) who provide > > > > valid justification and identity verification. > > > > > > > > Amend NRPM Section 2 to add the following definition: > > > > > > > > 2.18 Organization > > > > > > > > An organization is a company, corporation, partnership, sole > > > > proprietorship, government agency, non-profit entity, educational > > > > institution, or a natural person acting in a capacity consistent with > > > > operating a network and who meets ARIN’s resource eligibility > criteria. > > > > > > > > Comments: > > > > > > > > Sections 4.2, 5.1, and 6.5 shall be interpreted to allow > “organizations” > > > > as newly defined in Section 2.12, thereby including individuals where > > > > appropriate. > > > > > > > > Staff may develop identity verification and residency requirements > > > > appropriate to individuals (e.g., government-issued photo ID and > proof of > > > > address). > > > > > > > > All resource justification, utilization, and RSA signing requirements > > > > remain unchanged. > > > > > > > > There has been extensive discussion of this topic on the ARIN Public > > > > Policy Mailing List (PPML) in April 2025. Participants have cited > > > > inconsistencies and barriers created by reliance on state-level > business > > > > registries, and called for more inclusive eligibility mechanisms > similar > > > > to other RIR regions. The proposal addresses these concerns while > > > > maintaining accountability and justification requirements. > > > > > > > > Timetable for implementation: > > > > > > > > Recommend implementation within 3–6 months of ratification to allow > ARIN > > > > staff and legal counsel to develop supporting processes. > > > > > > > > Anything else: > > > > > > > > This proposal does not reduce the level of justification required to > > > > obtain resources, but merely expands eligibility to natural persons > who > > > > operate networks and meet all existing technical and usage criteria. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > ARIN-PPML > > > > You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to > > > > the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List ([email protected]). > > > > Unsubscribe or manage your mailing list subscription at: > > > > https://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-ppml > > > > Please contact [email protected] if you experience any issues. > > > > > > > > > -- > > > =============================================== > > > David Farmer Email:[email protected] > > > Networking & Telecommunication Services > > > Office of Information Technology > > > University of Minnesota > > > 2218 University Ave SE Phone: 612-626-0815 > > > Minneapolis, MN 55414-3029 Cell: 612-812-9952 > > > =============================================== > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > ARIN-PPML > > > You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to > > > the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List ([email protected]). > > > Unsubscribe or manage your mailing list subscription at: > > > https://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-ppml > > > Please contact [email protected] if you experience any issues. > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > ARIN-PPML > > You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to > > the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List ([email protected]). > > Unsubscribe or manage your mailing list subscription at: > > https://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-ppml > > Please contact [email protected] if you experience any issues. > _______________________________________________ > ARIN-PPML > You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to > the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List ([email protected]). > Unsubscribe or manage your mailing list subscription at: > https://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-ppml > Please contact [email protected] if you experience any issues. >
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