The Hindu Business Line : Govt wants local body for issuing IP addresses

The Government, along with the Internet Service Providers Association of India, has approached the Australia-based Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) seeking powers to issue IP addresses in India through a National Internet Registry (NIR).

Currently, anybody wanting to get their own IP addresses in the country has to apply directly to APNIC.

Globally, IP addresses are controlled by the US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The process of applying for an IP address through APNIC is often time consuming and expensive. Therefore, most entities in India do not own their own IP addresses and simply take whatever their bandwidth provider allocates.

If the Indian efforts to set up a local National Internet Registry (NIR) are accepted by APNIC member-countries, then it will enable local entities to get IP addresses faster and at a fraction of the cost.

“At present, if one wants an IP address that entity has to pay the retail price directly to APNIC. If an Indian NIR is set up, it will buy IP addresses from APNIC on wholesale rates and then resell it to Indian corporates at much lower rates,” said an ISP executive.

There are other advantages too. Indian companies will be able to retain their IP addresses irrespective of the bandwidth provider.

“Companies at present prefer to take whatever IP address is given to them by the service provider because applying for a static IP address from APNIC is a cumbersome process.

“The NIR will enable Indian companies to get their own IP address which they can keep even if they change their bandwidth providers,” said an industry representative. Countries such as China, Japan and Vietnam already have their NIRs.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has also recommended setting up of an NIR given the potential demand for IP addresses as next generation technologies are increasingly deployed.

APNIC has put up India’s application for discussion among members after which it will take a decision. But according to market watchers, since the move has revenue implications for APNIC, India may find the going tough.

“For APNIC it makes more sense if users approach them directly by paying market price. Allowing an NIR in India could hit its income, so there could be some resistance,” said a market watcher.