internetregistries

Internet registries are organizations responsible for maintaining public registries of Internet number resources, including IPv4 and IPv6 address space and autonomous system (AS) numbers, and, in some cases, related routing data. They allocate resources to service providers and end-user organizations, maintain records of assignments and transfers, and support policy development and coordination to ensure fair and efficient distribution of scarce resources. They also maintain databases and tools that enable network operators to identify resource ownership and routing information.

Global coordination of resource allocation follows a hierarchical model. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) delegates large blocks of address space to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The RIRs manage their regions: ARIN in North America, RIPE NCC in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, APNIC in Asia-Pacific, AFRINIC in Africa, and LACNIC in Latin America and the Caribbean. Each RIR operates a public registry, a policy development process, and supporting services for registration, allocation, and transfer of resources within its region.

RIRs maintain registries such as WHOIS and other databases that hold data about resource ownership, contacts, and routing-related information. They authorize allocations and assignments to ISPs, enterprises, and academic institutions, track transfers between organizations, and provide guidance on resource reuse and reclamation under policy. They charge fees or require membership for resource registration.

Policies are developed by the communities served by each RIR and approved through public processes. The RIRs collaborate with IANA and ICANN, and with each other, to ensure consistency with global Internet governance standards. In addition to RIRs, National Internet Registries and local registries may operate under regional authority.