Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) manage and allocate Internet addresses within specific regions. There are five RIRs: ARIN, LACNIC, APNIC, RIPE NCC, and AfriNIC. They work together within the Number Resource Organization (NRO) for global policy issues. The IANA assigns numbers to RIRs for distribution to end users. RIRs prevent hoarding of IP addresses and AS numbers, ensure efficient routing, and facilitate system troubleshooting. Each RIR operates independently and encourages self-regulation within the region and information sector.
A regional Internet registry is a non-profit organization charged with allocating, managing, maintaining, and recording information such as Internet addresses within a specific area. Each regional Internet registry oversees activities within the designated international region. Together, these regional Internet registries make up the Number Resource Organization (NRO).
Every device connected to the Internet is assigned its own unique identification number called an Internet Protocol (IP) address. With the rapid growth of the Internet in the 1990s, it became apparent that the system would require management. The volume of worldwide demand made a single centralized system impractical, and regional registries were established in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the fifth regional Internet registry established in 2005.
As of 2010, five regional Internet registries operated independently managing domains, IP addresses, and autonomous system (AS) numbers. These organizations were the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Center (LACNIC), the Asia-Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), the Reseaux IP Europeens Network Coordination Center (RIPE NCC), and the African Network Information Center ( African). For global policy issues, they work together within the NRO.
Canada and the United States are managed by ARIN. South America, Central America and Mexico fall under LACNIC. The Caribbean nations are split between the two regional Internet registries.
RIPE NCC supervises Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. APNIC is responsible for the rest of Asia as well as Australia and the Pacific. AfriNIC was the fifth regional Internet registry to be added and manages Internet information in Africa.
Numbers for IP addresses are initially generated by an organization called the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The IANA assigns these numbers to registries for distribution. Each regional Internet registry then allocates these numbers as required to end users such as government entities, educational institutions, Internet service providers, and private businesses.
Policy decisions made by each regional Internet Registry help keep the Internet running smoothly. Controlled registration prevents the accumulation and hoarding of the finite number of available IP addresses and AS numbers. Efficient routing also depends on registries, and without their maintenance, the Internet would become cumbersome and less stable. System troubleshooting would be exceptionally difficult without unique identification numbers to track errors and problems.
Methods for achieving these goals vary between agencies. Each regional Internet registry operates independently and is able to consider the unique demands and resources of that region. All registries use transparent decision-making policies and encourage self-regulation within the region and within the information sector.
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