[ncc-services-wg] Decommissioning Recognised IPv4 Transfer Brokers List and IPv4 Transfer Listing Service

Dear colleagues,

At its meeting on 6 October 2023, the RIPE NCC Executive Board resolved to decommission the Recognised IPv4 Transfer Brokers List and the IPv4 Transfer Listing Service [1].

Following from this, we are currently in the process of removing the brokers list and informing all of the brokers that we have signed a ‘Recognised IPv4 Broker Agreement’ with. The Recognised IPv4 Transfer Brokers List will be removed from our website on 31 December 2023.

We also plan to start decommissioning the IPv4 Transfer Listing Service after RIPE 87 and expect this to be completed in Q1 2024. 

As noted in the Executive Board meeting minutes, the brokers list is no longer fulfilling its intended purpose. At the same time, the IPv4 Transfer Listing Service has reached the end of its life and requires significant development work, which we do not have the resources for. The Board therefore decided to retire both services.
  
Ending these services makes us wonder what role, if any, the RIPE NCC should play in the IPv4 transfer market going forward. I will briefly discuss this in my update at the RIPE NCC Services Working Group during RIPE 87 next week. We plan to start a consultation in early 2024 to ask members and the community what they would like to see from us here.

Regards,

James Kennedy
Chief Registry Officer
RIPE NCC

[1] 168th Executive Board Meeting Minutes: 
https://www.ripe.net/about-us/executive-board/minutes/2023/minutes-168th-executive-board-meeting