Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are organizations responsible for managing and distributing Internet number resources within specific geographical regions. These resources include:
- IP Addresses (IPv4 and IPv6): RIRs allocate blocks of IP addresses to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), enterprises, and other organizations. These addresses are essential for devices to communicate over the Internet.
- Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs): ASNs are unique identifiers used by networks to exchange routing information. They play a crucial role in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing system.
Here’s a breakdown of the five RIRs and their technical details:
- African Network Coordination Centre (AFRINIC):
- Established: 2005
- Location: Mauritius
- Service Region: Africa
- Membership Types:
- Resource Members (Local Internet Registries (LIRs) and end users) who apply for resources based on need.
- Associate Members who obtain AFRINIC membership but don’t apply for Internet number resources.
- Asia-Pacific Network Coordination Centre (APNIC):
- Established: 1993
- Location: Australia
- Service Region: Asia Pacific
- Membership Types:
- Members categorized into tiers based on the number of Internet number resources they hold (delegated based on need).
- Non-Members who can still hold resources but can’t hold membership.
- Members of National Internet Registries (NIRs) operating in the Asia Pacific region.
- American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN):
- Established: 1997
- Location: USA
- Service Region: United States, Canada, many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands
- Membership Types:
- Organization-level membership reserved for entities holding IPv4 address space, IPv6 address space, and/or ASNs from ARIN under a signed agreement.
- ARIN also serves approximately 14,000 customers with resources not covered by agreements.
- Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC):
- Established: 2002
- Location: Uruguay
- Service Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
- Membership Types:
- Active Members (organizations and end users receiving resources based on need).
- Adhering Members (Members without assigned IP addresses).
- Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC):
- Established: 1992
- Location: The Netherlands
- Service Region: Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia
- Membership Types:
- Active members with Local Internet Registry (LIR) accounts to apply for resources.
- RIPE NCC also serves 19,000+ End Users who receive IP addresses for their infrastructure without applying for membership.