• Amazon purchases 44.192.0.0/9 from ARDC

    From Ian McLaughlin@21:1/133 to All on Thu Jul 18 22:29:57 2019
    wow.

    Amazon just purchased 44.192.0.0/9 (a quarter of the amateur radio
    allocation) for an undisclosed amount, rumoured to be $50 million.

    The reactions from the amateur radio community is one of shock, and mostly negative, judging from the postings on the 44Net mailing list.

    Because of the age of the original allocation (right at the birth of the Internet) it's dubious that the 'organization' (ARDC) that claims to be the current holder of the allocation even has the legal authority to do what they have done.

    The bigger part of the story, IMHO, is the International issue. ARDC is supposedly a US 801(c)(3) charity, and they are spewing on about all of the benefits that they are going to be able to provide the amateur community with this money, however, how is that benefit going to trickle down to non-US countries? The amateur radio community is world-wide - what about countries that the US considers 'undesirable' or decides to embargo? Do the hams of
    these countries not get to benefit from the sale of a resource that was allocated to the world amateur community?

    I'm still shocked and very upset about this right now. The sad thing is that this has now set a terrible precedent, and I'm sure it won't be long now that the rest of our allocation will go to the highest bidder.

    Ian VE7BST (proudly non-American)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A42 2019/02/01 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: The Parity Error BBS - Kelowna, BC, Canada (21:1/133)
  • From Avon@21:1/101 to Ian McLaughlin on Sat Jul 20 12:11:39 2019

    wow.

    Amazon just purchased 44.192.0.0/9 (a quarter of the amateur radio allocation) for an undisclosed amount, rumoured to be $50 million.

    I'll need to do some reading of this Ian... wow..

    There's also a threat to the 2m band with some remit by the French to
    allocate things to aeronautical use (as I understand it)...

    Ian VE7BST (proudly non-American)

    I have a lot of friends in the USA and have nothing against my American mates in the BBS scene or in others spaces / places... my take is we all (us
    humans) make errors from time to time and I think place of birth / country
    etc. is a bit of a red herring... but hey this loss of IP stuff does sound
    bad for all HAMs :(

    Thanks for posting it up.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Avon on Sat Jul 20 11:23:00 2019
    On 07-20-19 12:11, Avon wrote to Ian McLaughlin <=-

    I have a lot of friends in the USA and have nothing against my American mates in the BBS scene or in others spaces / places... my take is we
    all (us humans) make errors from time to time and I think place of
    birth / country etc. is a bit of a red herring... but hey this loss of
    IP stuff does sound bad for all HAMs :(

    There's quite a bit of discussion on the 44Net mailing list. I think it's hard to pass judgement without knowing the full facts.


    ... It is broke. It will not work. It does not go.
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Avon@21:1/101 to Vk3jed on Sat Jul 20 13:39:32 2019
    On 20 Jul 2019 at 11:23a, Vk3jed pondered and said...

    There's quite a bit of discussion on the 44Net mailing list. I think
    it's hard to pass judgement without knowing the full facts.

    I agree with that.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Avon on Sat Jul 20 20:07:00 2019
    On 07-20-19 13:39, Avon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    On 20 Jul 2019 at 11:23a, Vk3jed pondered and said...

    There's quite a bit of discussion on the 44Net mailing list. I think
    it's hard to pass judgement without knowing the full facts.

    I agree with that.

    So far, there's been a fair bit of the expected knee jerk reaction, but there's also been a few thoughtful responses to the situation.


    ... Useless Invention: Lie detectors for politicians.
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From vorlon@21:1/195.1 to Vk3jed on Sat Jul 20 23:39:10 2019
    There's quite a bit of discussion on the 44Net mailing list. I think
    it's hard to pass judgement without knowing the full facts.

    A few!. It was something like 100+_ messages in about a 12-24 hour
    period. I thought that something had blown up, when all I was seeing the
    other night was [44-Net] message headers on my phone.....

    At least it's dropped back down to normal level's now.

    \/orlon


    --- MagickaBBS v0.12alpha (Linux/armv6l)
    * Origin: \/orlon Empire: Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)
  • From Avon@21:1/101 to Vk3jed on Sun Jul 21 14:36:31 2019
    On 20 Jul 2019 at 08:07p, Vk3jed pondered and said...

    So far, there's been a fair bit of the expected knee jerk reaction, but there's also been a few thoughtful responses to the situation.

    I did go to the website for the group ?? that made the decision to sell some
    of the IP range off. I wondered if I should repost that here?

    I'm not a member of that mailing list you mentioned but may sign up today.

    [time passes]

    Just did but waiting for approval.. meantime I did find some post from
    AMPRNet about the sale. I'll post it below.

    [snip]

    Amateur Radio Digital Communications [ARDC] is a United States
    charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation that has
    long owned and managed the Internet address space known as the
    AMPRNet.

    Nearly 40 years ago, early in the evolution of the Internet, this
    address allocation was acquired to be used for the mutual benefit
    of Amateur Radio and digital communications technology.

    Amateur Radio operators ("hams") use the global radio spectrum set
    aside for them by international treaty in non-commercial ways to
    improve engineering, research, experimentation, training, education,
    and emergency communications. Having the AMPRNet available over
    the past four decades has facilitated integration of the Internet
    with radio-based technologies long used by hams. This long term
    interaction has been key to development of now ubiquitous wireless
    technology such as WiFi and the ability to browse the Internet or
    to stream various media to your mobile phone.

    Over those past decades, a portion of the AMPRNet IPv4 address space
    has rarely been used, and recent utilization surveys show that it
    is not likely to ever be needed by hams.

    Initially free, IPv4 Internet addresses are now highly valuable,
    and there is an international marketplace in which to sell them.
    ARDC has sold some of its unused and unneeded address space, but
    retains a more than ample supply of IPv4 addresses for current and
    future use by the many Amateur Radio operators worldwide. The sale
    amounts to some millions of dollars, which will be used in the
    furtherance of ARDC's continuing public benefit purpose.

    Before the sale, the AMPRNet consisted of the addresses 44.0.0.0
    through 44.255.255.255 (in Internet notation, 44.0.0.0/8). Post-sale,
    it consists of addresses 44.0.0.0 through 44.191.255.255 (44.0.0.0/9
    plus 44.128.0.0/10). The uppermost 1/4 of the former AMPRNet address
    space (44.192.0.0/10) has been withdrawn from ham radio use and
    sold to another owner, however over 12 million IPv4 addresses remain
    for amateur radio use.

    ARDC will use the proceeds of this address sale to further its
    mission to support, promote, and enhance Amateur Radio, digital
    communications, and broader communication science and technology
    by funding grants and scholarships for scientific research,
    experimentation, education, open access, and innovation in information
    and communications technology, with an emphasis on benefiting the
    international Amateur Radio service.

    For further information, please see <https://www.ampr.org/amprnet/>.

    Best wishes and 73,
    The ARDC Board of Directors

    [snip]

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to vorlon on Sun Jul 21 15:23:00 2019
    On 07-20-19 23:39, vorlon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    There's quite a bit of discussion on the 44Net mailing list. I think
    it's hard to pass judgement without knowing the full facts.

    A few!. It was something like 100+_ messages in about a 12-24 hour
    period. I thought that something had blown up, when all I was seeing
    the other night was [44-Net] message headers on my phone.....

    At least it's dropped back down to normal level's now.

    Yeah it was nuts for a while, with a few dummy spits. ;)


    ... Her wedding invitations say Same time, same place.
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Avon on Sun Jul 21 15:27:00 2019
    On 07-21-19 14:36, Avon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    On 20 Jul 2019 at 08:07p, Vk3jed pondered and said...

    So far, there's been a fair bit of the expected knee jerk reaction, but there's also been a few thoughtful responses to the situation.

    I did go to the website for the group ?? that made the decision to sell some of the IP range off. I wondered if I should repost that here?

    I'm not a member of that mailing list you mentioned but may sign up
    today.

    [time passes]

    Just did but waiting for approval.. meantime I did find some post from AMPRNet about the sale. I'll post it below.

    Yep, you can't rely on timely responses from me over the weekend, I'm doing my usual sporty stuff. :D And yes that's basically the announcement that's gone out. Actually, the first sign that something had changed was reverse DNS for all of 44.x was not working. Someone botched that as the sold block was transferred to its new owners, it would seem. And the announcement came shortly afterwards.


    ... I want to be what I was when I started to be what I am now.
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Avon@21:1/101 to Vk3jed on Sun Jul 21 19:14:04 2019
    On 21 Jul 2019 at 03:27p, Vk3jed pondered and said...

    Yep, you can't rely on timely responses from me over the weekend, I'm doing my usual sporty stuff. :D And yes that's basically the
    announcement that's gone out. Actually, the first sign that something
    had changed was reverse DNS for all of 44.x was not working. Someone botched that as the sold block was transferred to its new owners, it
    would seem. And the announcement came shortly afterwards.

    I'm picking is that the dramas are over who has had the mandate to take such action and I've read some stuff about how the block was procured originally
    for the benefit of the whole community?

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to Avon on Sun Jul 21 20:10:00 2019
    On 07-21-19 19:14, Avon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    I'm picking is that the dramas are over who has had the mandate to take such action and I've read some stuff about how the block was procured originally for the benefit of the whole community?

    Yes, that's a lot of the issue, and the perceived secrecy (I suspect a lot was necessary for the negotiations).


    ... I am what I am - and that's not bad!
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)
  • From Blue White@21:4/134 to Avon on Sun Jul 21 14:01:05 2019
    Ian VE7BST (proudly non-American)

    I have a lot of friends in the USA and have nothing against my
    American mates in the BBS scene or in others spaces / places... my
    take is we all (us humans) make errors from time to time and I think
    place of birth / country etc. is a bit of a red herring... but hey
    this loss of IP stuff does sound bad for all HAMs :(

    I suspect it is similar in a lot of countries... some politician, which
    may not be on the ballot in your locality, comes up with a dumb idea (or
    is sold one by a corporation in this case) and dumber things happen as a result.

    I don't think that is an America-only thing. :(


    --- MagickaBBS v0.12alpha (Linux/armv7l)
    * Origin: Possum Lodge South * possumso.fsxnet.nz:7636/SSH:2122 (21:4/134)
  • From Avon@21:1/101 to Blue White on Mon Jul 22 13:32:12 2019
    On 21 Jul 2019 at 02:01p, Blue White pondered and said...

    I suspect it is similar in a lot of countries... some politician, which may not be on the ballot in your locality, comes up with a dumb idea (or is sold one by a corporation in this case) and dumber things happen as a result.

    I don't think that is an America-only thing. :(

    I agree, it's more of universal kind of thing that sadly just happens from
    time to time :(

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/03 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Agency BBS | Dunedin, New Zealand | agency.bbs.nz (21:1/101)
  • From vorlon@21:1/195.1 to Vk3jed on Mon Jul 22 23:20:05 2019
    On 07-20-19 23:39, vorlon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    At least it's dropped back down to normal level's now.

    Yeah it was nuts for a while, with a few dummy spits. ;)

    I just hop that the things they want to do with the funds does happen and progresses ham radio.


    \/orlon


    --- MagickaBBS v0.12alpha (Linux/armv6l)
    * Origin: \/orlon Empire: Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)
  • From Vk3jed@21:1/109 to vorlon on Wed Jul 24 13:26:00 2019
    On 07-22-19 23:20, vorlon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    On 07-20-19 23:39, vorlon wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    At least it's dropped back down to normal level's now.

    Yeah it was nuts for a while, with a few dummy spits. ;)

    I just hop that the things they want to do with the funds does happen
    and progresses ham radio.

    Me too. I'm certainly giving them the benefit of any doubt. $50M is worth more to us than a block of (almost) unused IPs that will be never utilised by hams. Now to use the money wisely.


    ... Government corruption seems always to be reported in the past tense.
    === MultiMail/Win v0.51
    --- SBBSecho 3.03-Linux
    * Origin: Freeway BBS Bendigo,Australia freeway.apana.org.au (21:1/109)