# IAB Workshop on IP Address Geolocation (ip-geo)
Workshop webpage: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/ipgeows/about/
## Workshop Description
This workshop aims to understand the current use cases for publishing,
discovering, and consuming IP address geolocation data ('IP-geo'
hereafter). It will also explore areas for improvement, both in ways to
update or replace IP geolocation mechanisms, and to consider mechanisms
that satisfy the use cases without relying on IP addresses.
The IAB seeks short position papers on the topics listed below. This
list is non-exhaustive and should be interpreted broadly.
* Today's Use Cases: How is IP-geo data used today? In particular, what
are the root challenges, technical needs, or business needs that IP-
geo data is being leveraged to address?
* Gaps and Problems: What are gaps or problems with the current
approaches being used by industry? Are there preferences for
particular file types? How effective are current approaches? What are
the impacts on user privacy?
* Future Opportunities: If we re-designed technical solutions to
address the motivating use cases, what would those solutions look
like? Are there alternative approaches that can avoid the gaps and
problems we have today? Is there value in conveying other information
in addition to or instead of geography, such as type of last mile
network connection?
All inputs submitted and considered relevant will be published on the
workshop website. The organizers will issue invitations based on the
submissions received. Sessions will be organized according to content,
and not every accepted submission or invited attendee will have an
opportunity to present; the intent is to foster an active discussion
and not simply to have a sequence of presentations. A workshop report
covering all submissions and the workshop discussion will be published
afterwards.
## Call for Papers
The workshop will be held online in three 2-to-3-hour sessions spread
over the first week of December 2025.
The workshop will be by invitation only. Those wishing to attend should
submit a "position paper" or "expressions of interest" to address the
above topics and questions. Paper length is limited to 3 pages; brevity
is encouraged and PDF format is preferred. All inputs submitted and
considered relevant will be published on the workshop website, so do
not include any confidential information. Position papers from those
not planning to attend the workshop themselves are also encouraged.
Not every accepted submission or invited attendee will have an
opportunity to present; the intent is to foster an active discussion
and not simply to have a sequence of presentations. The workshop may
also include breakout sessions.
A workshop report covering all submissions and discussions will be
published afterward.
Please indicate your interest by submitting a position paper or
expression of interest by 19 September 2025 to [email protected]
## In-Scope Topics
The following topics are considered in-scope; however, this list is
non-exhaustive:
Actionable requirements for IP address geolocation, including:
* How applications that use IP-geo information leverage this data, such
as search engines, video streaming platforms, Content Delivery
Networks (CDNs), speed test sites, etc. What challenges, technical
requirements, or business requirements does IP-geo data currently
address?
* Formatting of IP-geo files, including Comma Separated Value (CSV),
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), and text files
* Methods and frequency of updating, publishing, distributing, and
consuming IP-geo data
* Trust and privacy issues related to IP-geo data
* Gaps and problems in current IP-geo approaches
* Alternative approaches to addressing use cases that may not involve
IP-geo
## Logistics
* Initial submissions due: 2025-10-03 (Earlier submissions are
appreciated) via email to [email protected]
* Invitations Issued by: 2025-10-24
* Workshop Location: Online
* Workshop Dates: 3 days, dates TBD, week of 1-5 December 2025
* Workshop Times: 2-3 hours (XX:00 - XX:00 UTC, TBD) each day
* Program Committee: Glenn Deen (SVTA, NBCUniversal), Jana Iyengar
(IAB, Netflix), Mirja Kühlewind (IAB, Ericsson) Warren Kumari (IAB,
Google), Jason Livingood (IAB, Comcast), Tommy Pauly (IAB, Apple)
* Contact the Program Committee with any further questions:
[email protected].
_______________________________________________
IETF-Announce mailing list -- [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
