One for the History Books: Last IPv4 Addresses Allocated

The Internet has reached a historic milestone.

After years of rapid Internet expansion, the pool of available unallocated addresses for IPv4, the original Internet Protocol (IP) Addressing system, is completely depleted. But don’t worry. This is not the IPocalypse, as some members of the media have called it.

ICANN, along with the Number Resources Organization (NRO), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the Internet Society (ISOC), have been preparing the Internet for this moment for years. IPv6, a new Internet Protocol with a massive amount of address space, is already taking over as IPv4 runs out. For most users, all it means is that your computer’s IP address today might look like 192.0.2.10 (an example IPv4 address), but soon it may resemble 2001:0db8::feed:b766 (an example IPv6 address).

Why are IP Addresses such a big deal? Simply put, it’s because they are the numbers assigned to computer network interfaces, and without them, our computers, servers, and devices would not be able to communicate with each other. Online browsing, email, and smartphones all depend on IP Addresses to work.

Want to know more? Read the ICANN press release on the exhaustion of IPv4.

Learn more about IP Addresses and the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.

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The ICANN Fellowship Program: Creating Internet Community Leaders

Launched in 2007, the ICANN Fellowship Program provides funding and mentoring that enable members of underrepresented stakeholder groups in the global Internet community to attend ICANN meetings. Since the program started, its fellows have come from more than 50 World Bank-classified low, lower-middle, and upper-middle economy countries.

The Fellowship Program furthers ICANN's goal to make the Internet community as inclusive as possible. It also nurtures community members, empowering them to become leaders who represent their groups' needs and visions to help shape Internet policy at ICANN meetings.

Tatiana Chirev, a four-time fellow and member of the Fellowship Committee, is one of the many ICANN Fellowship participants who humanize the idea of the Internet community. In her own words, attending ICANN meetings helped Tatiana see up close "what huge and impactful work is being done by ICANN and the entire Internet community."

To hear more about Tatiana's changed perspective in her own words, see our exclusive interview.

Are you from an underrepresented nation and interested in becoming an Internet community leader? The Fellowship Program has just opened the application process for prospective fellows to attend the 41st ICANN International Meeting in Amman, Jordan. Go here to learn more.

Public Comment

Every significant piece of work that ICANN produces goes through a period of public comment, typically 30 days, so that the broader Internet community has an opportunity to comment. Often one document will go through several stages of review and revision before being finalised. Below are all the comment periods that are currently open.

Proposed Process for Recognition of New GNSO Constituencies	closes 4 March 2011
Interim Report of the Internationalized Registration Data Working Group	closes 13 January 2011 Extended to 14 March 2011
ccNSO DRDWG Final Report	closes 15 March 2011
Proposed Framework for the Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) Operating Plan and Budget	closes 4 April 2011

More ...