Comments on RIPE NCC new Payment Scheme. The Internet is a critical infrastructure on which life depends, especially during wartime. I personally had to make sure of this in Ukraine. Reliable operation of the network depends on many factors, it is not only the availability of power or fuel in generators, but also the accessibility of networks (providers and operators) to traffic exchange points, especially to independent traffic exchange networks. Most traffic exchange points (especially small regional ones) are critically important and greatly improve communication. But with a small number of participants (up to 100 exchange participants), the financial costs of maintaining the IXP are quite significant, most regional traffic exchange points in Ukraine have practically no profits, or their financial income is so low that the introduction of a new payment scheme for resources such as RI is a big problem. Especially when there is war in the country, and paying 1000 euros for PI IPv4 and IPv6 IXP assignments is a knife in the back. I am the founder of the traffic exchange point in Ukraine: RUDAKi-IX. The creation of IXP from the very beginning did not bring me significant profit, practically one of the lowest port prices is achieved by minimal infrastructure costs and support for the exchange. Most participants are in a state of war and do not have the means to pay membership fees, but now the burden of paying for PI objects must fall on their shoulders, for a moment these are two PI IPv4 + PI IPv6 objects. My personal opinion is negative towards such a significant increase in the cost of these resources. It is necessary to allocate IXP resources from other PI resources and prevent their increase in cost for end users of RIPE NCC. I propose to leave the cost for IXP at EUR 75. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Зауваження до нової Схеми оплати RIPE NCC. Інтернет - це критична інфраструктура від роботи якої залежить життя, особливо під час війни. Мені особисто довелось в цьому впевнитися в Україні. Надійна робота мережі залежить від багатьох факторів, це не лише наявність живлення чи пального в генераторах а і доспутність мереж (провайдерів та оперторів) до точок обміну трафіку, особливо до незалежних мереж обміну трафіку. Більшість точок обміну трафіку (особливо невеликі регіональні) є критично важливими і дуже покращують зв'язок. Але з невеликою кількістю учасників (до 100 учасників біржі) фінансові витрати на підтримання роботи ІХР є досить значними, більшість регіональних точок обміну трафіку в Україні практично не мають прибутків, або їх фінансові надходження наскільки низьке що запровадження новой схеми оплати за ресурси типу РІ - це велика проблема. Особливо коли в країні війна, а сплата 1000 євро за PI IPv4 and IPv6 IXP assignments - це ніж в спину. Я засновник точки обміну трафіком в Україні: RUDAKi-IX. Створення ІХР із самого початку не мало на мені отримання значного прибутку, практично одна з найменшої ціни порту досягається мінимальними витрати на інфраструктуру і підтримку роботи біржи. Більшість учасників перебувають вкладній війській ситуації і не мають коштів сплачквати членські внески, але тепер на їх плечі має лягти тягар із сплати за обєкти РІ, на хвилинку це два об'єкти PI IPv4 + PI IPv6. Моя особиста думка має негатив до такої значного підвищення вартості за дані ресурси. Потрібно розподіляти ресурси ІХР від інших ресурсів РІ і не допустити їх збільшення вартості для кінцевих користуваців RIPE NCC. Я пропоную залишити для ІХР вартість на рівні EUR 75. -- Best regards, . Rudakov Igor mailto:info@rudaki-ix.net
On Mon 09 Mar 2026 20:04:16 GMT, info@rudaki-ix.net wrote:
Especially when there is war in the country, and paying 1000 euros for PI IPv4 and IPv6 IXP assignments is a knife in the back.
Even outside of war time, it’s still a stab in the back. I’m running four small IXPs in France (to try to avoid having everything going back and forth to Paris), with a budget of 0 €. Asking for some LIRs to sponsor the objects as they aren’t that expensive is something possible; with fees to 1000 € per year, it will very probably mean closing all those IXPs. Even if some 100G ports connected to major operators are in production. -- Alarig
The fundamental underlying issue is probably RIPE's cost structure. Its 2025 spending was 52% more than ARIN. There is less budget transparency than ARIN in terms of senior management compensation and former RIPE employees have told me that staff is receiving a premium to the market. There are a lot more RIPE member complaints than ARIN member complaints. RIPE has 202 employees versus 106 for ARIN. ARIN's operating expenses were $31.5 million for 2025. But RIPE's was 40 million Euros or using purchasing price parity $48 million. So there is prima facie evidence of costs being too high. Now, maybe if an apples-to-apples comparison were done, RIPE would come out smelling like roses, but it would be interesting to compare ARIN's pricing with RIPE's pricing. If you work with or for RIPE or have personal relationships with RIPE employees, please don't reply to my comments because your comments are tainted by self-interest. You should know better. Regards, Roderick. On Tue, Mar 10, 2026 at 5:59 PM Alarig Le Lay via ripe-list < ripe-list@ripe.net> wrote:
On Mon 09 Mar 2026 20:04:16 GMT, info@rudaki-ix.net wrote:
Especially when there is war in the country, and paying 1000 euros for PI IPv4 and IPv6 IXP assignments is a knife in the back.
Even outside of war time, it’s still a stab in the back. I’m running four small IXPs in France (to try to avoid having everything going back and forth to Paris), with a budget of 0 €. Asking for some LIRs to sponsor the objects as they aren’t that expensive is something possible; with fees to 1000 € per year, it will very probably mean closing all those IXPs. Even if some 100G ports connected to major operators are in production.
-- Alarig ----- To unsubscribe from this mailing list or change your subscription options, please visit: https://mailman.ripe.net/mailman3/lists/ripe-list.ripe.net/ As we have migrated to Mailman 3, you will need to create an account with the email matching your subscription before you can change your settings. More details at: https://www.ripe.net/membership/mail/mailman-3-migration/
-- Roderick Beck Network Capacity Sourcing - Broker Mobile: 00-36-70-605-5144. Email: roderick.beck@networksourcing.net Articles: https://subseacables.blogspot.com/ Telegram: @RoderickBeck Tallinn & Budapest.
participants (3)
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Alarig Le Lay -
info＠rudaki-ix.net -
Roderick Beck