Provider Independent (PI) resources are IP address blocks the RIPE NCC registers directly to an End User organization rather than to its Internet provider, so they stay with you when you change ISP. The RIPE NCC still assigns IPv6 PI, a /48 at minimum under ripe-738; existing IPv4 PI blocks stay registered to their holders and change hands only through transfers, because the RIPE NCC no longer assigns new ones except to Internet Exchange Points (ripe-826). A PI block rests on a contract with a sponsoring LIR or with the RIPE NCC, and the RIPE NCC charges €75 per assignment per year under its Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848).
What are Provider Independent Resources?
PI space is assigned by a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) to the organization that uses it, not carved out of an ISP's allocation. Provider Aggregatable (PA) space comes from the provider's allocation and returns to the provider when the service ends; PI stays with you.
The defining characteristic of PI resources is portability. When you hold PI address space, you can:
- Switch Internet Service Providers without renumbering your network
- Use multiple ISPs simultaneously (multi-homing)
- Maintain consistent IP addressing across your infrastructure
- Build a stable, provider-independent network architecture
PI resources include both IPv4 and IPv6 address assignments, as well as Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). This guide focuses primarily on PI address space.
The Evolution of PI Resources
Provider Independent addressing emerged as a solution to one problem: renumbering. In the early days of the Internet, organizations that changed ISPs faced the costly and disruptive task of renumbering their entire network infrastructure.
Historical Context
PI addressing grew with the commercial Internet, when a change of provider meant renumbering every host. What organizations wanted was continuity across provider changes, the option to connect to two ISPs at once, and addresses that outlived any single contract.
Current State: IPv4 Exhaustion
IPv4 exhaustion changed PI. The RIPE NCC, which serves Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia, depleted its available pool of IPv4 addresses and no longer assigns new PI space in IPv4.
The RIPE NCC's PA and PI FAQ puts it plainly: "As the RIPE NCC has run out of IPv4 addresses, no new IPv4 PI address space can be assigned." The current IPv4 policy, ripe-826, confirms in section 7.0 that the RIPE NCC no longer assigns PI address space, and keeps assignments to Internet Exchange Points under section 6.1.
This scarcity has created a secondary market for IPv4 addresses and made existing PI assignments particularly valuable. An organization that needs PI space in IPv4 can:
- Buy an existing PI assignment, or take it on a temporary transfer registered with the RIPE NCC (ripe-807 section 2.1); RIPE NCC transfers are free of charge
- Deploy IPv6 as the primary addressing plan and keep IPv4 for the reachability you still need
IPv6 PI assignments, by contrast, are still available through the standard application process.
PI vs PA Addresses: How They Differ
PI and PA differ in who the block is registered to and what happens when the service contract ends. The short version is in PI vs PA Resources: Key Differences; the detail follows.
Provider Aggregatable (PA) Addresses
PA addresses are allocated to Local Internet Registries (LIRs), typically Internet Service Providers, which then sub-allocate or assign them to their customers.
Key characteristics of PA addresses:
- Source: Assigned from an LIR's allocation
- Aggregation: Designed to be aggregated into larger routing blocks
- Portability: Not portable, tied to the provider
- Dependency: Assignment ends when service agreement terminates
- Routing efficiency: Reduces global routing table size through aggregation
ripe-826 section 7.0 requires LIRs to give PA End Users this warning: "Assignment of this IP space is valid as long as the criteria for the original assignment are met and only for the duration of the service agreement between yourself and us."
Provider Independent (PI) Addresses
PI addresses are assigned directly by the RIR or through a sponsoring LIR on behalf of the RIR.
Key characteristics of PI addresses:
- Source: Assigned directly by the RIR (not from LIR allocation)
- Independence: Remain with the organization regardless of provider
- Portability: Can be used with any ISP
- Persistence: Assignment continues as long as original criteria are met
- Routing considerations: Each PI block requires separate routing table entries
The Trade-offs
Routing table impact: PA addresses support Internet routing efficiency through aggregation. A single routing table entry might cover thousands of PA assignments. PI addresses, by contrast, typically require individual routing table entries.
The same FAQ: "The advantage of PA addresses is that the routing information for many customers can be aggregated once it leaves the provider's routing domain."
Routing acceptance: Network operators throughout the Internet make independent decisions about which routes to accept. While PA addresses from known providers are widely routed, PI addresses may face filtering.
And on PI: "The disadvantage of [PI addresses] is that networks operators throughout the Internet may choose not to route them."
Flexibility vs. efficiency: PI addresses offer flexibility for the organization but at the cost of Internet routing efficiency. PA addresses optimize global routing but create provider dependency.
Cost considerations: PI resources require direct contractual relationships with the RIR or sponsoring LIR, including annual maintenance fees. PA addresses are typically included in ISP service costs.
IPv4 Provider Independent Resources
IPv4 PI assignments are the older form of Provider Independent addressing.
Historical IPv4 PI Assignments
Before IPv4 exhaustion, organizations could request IPv4 PI assignments directly from RIPE NCC by demonstrating:
- A legitimate need for the address space
- That the addresses would be used for their own infrastructure
- A plan for how the space would be utilized
Current IPv4 PI Availability
New assignments: The RIPE NCC stopped assigning IPv4 PI to End Users in September 2012 (independent resources for End Users); ripe-826 keeps only the IXP peering-LAN exception. The free pool for LIRs followed: the last /22 went out on 25 November 2019 (RIPE NCC announcement), and members have queued for a single /24 since then.
Existing assignments: Organizations holding existing IPv4 PI assignments keep them registered to their organization as long as the sponsoring contract and RIPE policies are respected and the yearly fee is paid.
Transfer market: Organizations that need IPv4 PI space obtain it through transfers under the RIPE Resource Transfer Policies, ripe-807 (ripe-826 section 6.4 only points to that document). A PI block can move to another organization that holds a contract with the RIPE NCC or with a sponsoring LIR. IPv4 received through a transfer cannot be transferred again for 24 months (ripe-807 section 2.2.1); IPv6 PI carries no such restriction and transfers from a /48 upward. RIPE NCC transfers are free of charge and in most cases complete within one or two business days. Eligibility for holding IPv4 PI today is covered in IPv4 PI Eligibility Requirements (2026): Who Still Qualifies and What Holders Must Keep.
IPv4 PI Use Cases
IPv4 PI addresses are still what these networks run on:
Multi-homed networks: Organizations connected to multiple ISPs for redundancy use PI space to advertise their own prefixes via BGP, enabling traffic engineering and failover capabilities.
Data centers and hosting providers: Facilities offering colocation and hosting services maintain stable IP addressing for customers regardless of upstream connectivity changes.
Content delivery networks: Organizations with distributed infrastructure across multiple locations and providers rely on PI space for consistent addressing.
Enterprise networks: Large organizations with an Internet presence they cannot interrupt use PI addresses so a provider change never forces a renumbering.
IPv4 PI Requirements and Restrictions
Organizations holding IPv4 PI assignments must:
- Maintain a contractual relationship with RIPE NCC (directly or through a sponsoring LIR)
- Use the addresses only for their own infrastructure
- Keep registration information accurate in the RIPE Database
- Pay the yearly fees (€75 per assignment under the Charging Scheme 2026, ripe-848)
ripe-826 defines ASSIGNED PI as space that "cannot be used to make further assignments to other parties", and every PI contract must state that the resources may not be sub-assigned to a third party (ripe-637). A PI holder cannot act as an informal ISP with the block.
IPv6 Provider Independent Resources
IPv6 PI assignments offer the same provider independence as IPv4 PI but within the vast IPv6 address space.
IPv6 PI Assignment Sizes
The minimum IPv6 PI assignment is a /48 prefix, providing 65,536 /64 subnets, more than most organizations will ever use.
From ripe-738 (the current IPv6 Address Allocation and Assignment Policy): "The minimum size of the assignment is a /48."
Larger assignments: Organizations requiring more than a /48 can request shorter prefixes (larger blocks) by documenting:
- Additional subnet requirements
- Special routing needs for multiple sites
- Technical justification for the larger space
RIPE policy allows: "Assignments larger than a /48 (shorter prefix) or additional assignments exceeding a total of a /48 must be based on address usage or because different routing requirements exist for additional assignments." Sizes and the justification for each are compared in IPv6 PI Allocation Sizes Explained.
IPv6 PI Eligibility
To request an IPv6 PI assignment, you must:
- Use the addresses for your own legal entity's infrastructure
- Not be an ISP offering broadband access to customers
- Explain why the network needs PI rather than PA space; a /48 needs no usage justification, a larger block does (ripe-738 section 5.4.2)
- Sign the contractual requirements for PI holders (ripe-637)
Multihoming is not required for IPv6 PI: ripe-738 has no such clause. It is required for an ASN (ripe-679), which is why the two requests are separate.
IPv6 PI Permitted Uses
The RIPE NCC's IPv6 PI request page lists what a PI block may serve:
- Organization infrastructure: Corporate networks, office locations, and IT infrastructure
- Software-as-a-Service platforms: SaaS providers using addresses for their own service delivery
- Public WiFi hotspots: Guest network access at organization facilities
- Point-to-point links: Connections with third-party organizations
- Customer server connections: Hosting infrastructure for customer equipment
- Internet Exchange Points: IXP infrastructure
- Time-limited purposes: Research projects, academic studies, temporary networks
IPv6 PI Prohibited Uses
Organizations cannot use IPv6 PI assignments for:
- ISP broadband services: Providing Internet access to residential or business customers
- Large networks with separate legal entities: Multi-organization networks without individual assignments
- Governmental networks: Government entities providing connectivity to other organizations
- Pure colocation services: Facility providers assigning space to hosted customers
- Sub-assignment to other organizations: Allocating subnets to independent entities
The rule behind both lists is ripe-738 section 2.6: PI serves the holder's own legal entity, single addresses for visitors, hosted devices and point-to-point links are fine, a prefix (even one /64) handed to another organization is not.
Contractual Requirements for PI Resource Holders
Two Contract Routes
PI resource holders need a contract on one of two routes:
- Through a sponsoring LIR, the model ripe-637 calls preferred: an Independent Assignment Request and Maintenance Agreement (the RIPE NCC's model text) or an equivalent contract carrying the six mandatory ripe-637 clauses
- Directly with the RIPE NCC, as a Direct Assignment User
Sponsoring LIR Model
Most organizations obtain PI resources through a sponsoring LIR, which:
- Submits the PI assignment request on the organization's behalf
- Maintains the contractual relationship with RIPE NCC
- Handles administrative tasks and fee collection
- Provides ongoing support for resource management
The sponsoring LIR model offers advantages:
- Lower entry barrier: no RIPE NCC membership needed, compared in LIR vs PI: Which is Right for You?
- Simplified administrative processes
- Professional support for technical requirements
- Consolidated billing and management
The relationship is not permanent: a PI holder can move to another sponsor at any time, and RIPE NCC's procedure needs no consent from the LIR being left. The steps and deadlines are covered in our guide to changing your sponsoring LIR.
If your LIR closes or ends the contract without a successor, the RIPE NCC gives you 10 working days, then 10 more after a reminder, before deregistration starts (ripe-815, ripe-858). Under ripe-637 the new contract must be in place before the old one ends, or the resources return to the RIPE NCC by default.
Annual Maintenance Fees
PI resource holders pay a yearly RIPE NCC charge, through their sponsoring LIR or directly. Under the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848):
- IPv4 and IPv6 PI assignments: €75 per independent resource assignment per year
- Autonomous System Numbers: €50 per ASN per year
The RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2027 (ripe-867), adopted at the May 2026 General Meeting, keeps €75 per independent assignment. It raises the LIR account fee to €1,894 with the first ASN included, and each additional ASN costs €50. Fees are billed per resource held on 31 December.
Ongoing Obligations
PI resource holders must:
- Maintain accurate data: Keep registration information current in the RIPE Database
- Comply with policies: Use resources in accordance with RIPE community policies
- Respond to RIPE NCC: Address inquiries and audit requests promptly
- Pay fees on time: Maintain accounts in good standing
Under ripe-637 the resources return to the RIPE NCC by default when the holder cannot be contacted or the fee to the LIR is not paid.
The Application Process for PI Resources
Step 1: Find a Sponsoring LIR
Unless you are a RIPE NCC member or sign directly with the RIPE NCC as a Direct Assignment User, a sponsoring LIR submits your PI request.
Selecting a sponsoring LIR involves considering:
- Experience with PI assignment requests
- Quality of support and documentation assistance
- Fee structure and ongoing service costs
- Reputation and relationship with RIPE NCC
Step 2: Determine Your Requirements
Clearly define your PI resource needs:
For IPv6 PI:
- Standard /48 for most organizations
- Larger assignment if you can justify additional subnets or routing requirements
- Multiple /48s if you have distinct sites with different routing needs
For IPv4 PI:
- Identify specific size requirements
- Locate available PI space on transfer market
- Negotiate transfer with current holder
Step 3: Prepare Documentation
Gather required documentation:
Legal verification (ripe-863):
- Organizations: a recent registration document from the national authority
- Natural persons: a passport or ID card, checked online by the RIPE NCC's provider iDenfy
- All signing parties are screened against EU and Dutch sanctions lists
Network description:
- A short description of the network the block will serve
- For anything larger than a /48, the address usage or routing requirement that justifies it (ripe-738 section 5.4.2)
The full list, with what each document must show, is in Documentation Needed for PI Requests.
Contractual documents:
- Signed "Independent Assignment Request and Maintenance Agreement"
- For temporary needs: "Temporary Assignment Request and Maintenance Agreement"
Step 4: Create RIPE Database Objects
Before submitting your request, establish presence in the RIPE Database:
- Organization object: Represents your legal entity
- Maintainer object (mntner): Controls access to your database objects
- Person/role NIC handle: Contact information for administrative and technical roles
Since 4 March 2026 the RIPE Database no longer accepts MD5 passwords on maintainers; updates authenticate with a RIPE NCC Access account, API keys, OAuth 2.0 or OIDC, or PGP and X.509 keys.
Step 5: Submit Application
Your sponsoring LIR submits the request through the LIR Portal, the only request channel since the RIPE NCC switched off its Resource Request API on 6 January 2025.
The submission includes:
- Completed request forms
- All supporting documentation
- Legal verification materials
- Technical justifications
Step 6: RIPE NCC Review
RIPE NCC evaluates the request based on:
- Policy compliance
- Documentation completeness
- Technical justification adequacy
- Legal verification results
Review timeline: the RIPE NCC publishes no processing time for PI requests. Questions come back through your sponsoring LIR when something is missing, so a complete file is the only lever you control.
Step 7: Assignment and Registration
Upon approval:
- RIPE NCC assigns the PI resources
- Resources are registered in the RIPE Database
- Organization can begin using the address space
- Routing can be configured with ISPs
Managing Your PI Resources
RIPE Database Maintenance
Keep your RIPE Database objects current:
- Contact information: Keep administrative and technical contacts accurate
- Network topology: Update inet6num/inetnum objects as your infrastructure evolves
- Routing policies: Maintain accurate route and route6 objects for BGP
- Authorization: Keep maintainer credentials secure and accessible
Routing Considerations
Successfully routing PI address space requires:
BGP configuration: Most PI resource holders need:
- An Autonomous System Number (ASN)
- BGP peering relationships with one or more ISPs
- Proper route origin authorization (ROA) using RPKI
PI space is never certified in the sponsoring LIR's certificate authority. The End User gets a CA of its own, hosted or delegated (RPKI for PI End Users); it needs the signed End User agreement and a RIPE NCC Access account authorized to maintain the organization object, otherwise the sponsoring LIR asks lir-help@ripe.net. Creating the ROA itself is covered in How to Create RPKI ROAs in the RIPE Database.
ISP coordination: Work with your upstream providers to:
- Establish BGP sessions
- Configure route advertisements
- Implement traffic engineering policies
- Test failover scenarios (for multi-homed setups)
Route filtering: IPv6 PI is assigned from a designated block so operators can recognize it (ripe-738 section 7). Some networks still filter:
- Minimum prefix length filters
- Regional routing policies
- Provider-specific filtering rules
Compliance and Audits
RIPE NCC may conduct audits to verify:
- Resources are being used as documented
- Registration information is accurate
- Policy requirements are met
- No unauthorized sub-assignments have occurred
Respond promptly and thoroughly to audit requests with:
- Current network topology documentation
- Evidence of legitimate use
- Updated registration information
- Clarification of any questions
Fee Management
Maintain your PI resources by:
- Paying annual fees on time
- Keeping billing information current
- Coordinating with your sponsoring LIR if using that model
- Knowing that the RIPE NCC bills per resource held on 31 December, and that ending a sponsorship before that date and re-signing after 1 January for the same block keeps the fee due
PI Resources and Multi-Homing
One of the primary drivers for obtaining PI resources is multi-homing: connecting to multiple Internet Service Providers simultaneously.
Why Multi-Home?
Organizations implement multi-homing for:
Redundancy: If one ISP experiences an outage, traffic automatically routes through other connections, maintaining Internet availability.
Performance optimization: Use BGP traffic engineering to direct traffic through optimal paths based on latency, capacity, or cost.
Provider independence: Avoid vendor lock-in by maintaining the ability to easily add, remove, or change ISPs.
Load distribution: Distribute traffic across multiple links to maximize available bandwidth.
Multi-Homing Requirements
Effective multi-homing with PI resources requires:
Autonomous System Number: Your own ASN to identify your network in BGP; the RIPE NCC assigns one only to multihomed networks (ripe-679), and the steps are in our guide on how to register an ASN.
BGP capabilities: Router hardware and technical expertise to configure and maintain BGP sessions.
PI address space: Provider-independent addresses that you control and can announce from any ISP.
Multiple ISP connections: Physical connectivity to two or more Internet providers.
Multi-Homing Architecture
A typical multi-homed setup includes:
- Edge routers: BGP-capable routers at each ISP connection point
- Interior routing: OSPF, EIGRP, or static routes within your network
- BGP configuration: Sessions with each ISP, route advertisements, and policy implementation
- Monitoring: Tools to track routing, detect issues, and measure performance
Common Challenges and Solutions
Routing acceptance. Some networks filter PI routes. Register your routes in an IRR, publish ROAs, announce the block whole and pick upstreams with wide peering.
IPv4 scarcity. No new IPv4 PI comes from the RIPE NCC. The transfer market is the source: according to broker IPv4.Global (monthly averages, August 2026), /22 to /24 blocks averaged about $23.50 per address in August 2026 (online and private sales mixed, priced at agreement date), so a /24 runs about $6,000 before registry costs. Leasing addresses from an LIR's allocation covers a temporary need; IPv6 covers the rest.
Expertise. BGP and RIPE Database maintenance need someone who knows them. A sponsoring LIR handles the registry side; the routing side stays yours or a managed service's.
Compliance. Review resource usage yearly, keep contacts current in the RIPE Database and diary the fee date.
Using Via-Registry for PI Resources
We file IPv6 PI requests with the RIPE NCC as your sponsoring LIR: identity verification, the organization and contact objects in the RIPE Database, the signed agreement and the request itself. A /48 costs €300 setup plus €135 per year, €435 in the first year (as of September 2026), with the €75 RIPE NCC fee passed through at cost and RPKI through your own End User hosted CA. The service page linked at the top of this article lists what is included.
If you already hold an IPv4 or IPv6 PI block and your LIR is closing, dropped you or you want to leave it, we sponsor the existing block at €135 per year per assignment, with the setup fee quoted per block. The windows you have to act in are in the Sponsoring LIR Model section above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between PI and PA addresses?
PI (Provider Independent) addresses are assigned directly by the RIR and remain with your organization regardless of ISP. PA (Provider Aggregatable) addresses come from your ISP's allocation and must be returned if you change providers. PI offers portability and independence; PA offers routing efficiency and typically lower costs.
Can I still get IPv4 PI addresses?
Not directly from RIPE NCC. IPv4 exhaustion means no new IPv4 PI assignments are available. However, you can obtain IPv4 PI space through the transfer market by purchasing existing assignments from current holders.
How much does an IPv6 PI assignment cost?
The RIPE NCC charges €75 per PI assignment per year under the Charging Scheme 2026 (ripe-848), and the 2027 scheme (ripe-867) keeps it at €75. The sponsoring LIR adds its own fee. Through us a /48 costs €300 setup plus €135 per year, so €435 in the first year (as of September 2026), the €75 RIPE NCC fee passed through at cost.
Do I need my own ASN to use PI addresses?
Not strictly, but PI addresses do the most with your own ASN: BGP announcements from any upstream, multi-homing, traffic engineering. Static routing through a single ISP works and negates most of the point. The other case is the cloud: with PI space registered to a business entity you can bring your own IP (BYOIP) to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud and announce it from the provider's ASN. AWS takes a /48 as the most specific advertisable IPv6 prefix and does not accept ranges registered to an individual.
How long does it take to get an IPv6 PI assignment?
The RIPE NCC does not publish a processing time for IPv6 PI. What you control is the file: the organization's registration document or an ID for a natural person (ripe-863), the signed sponsoring agreement and a short description of the network the /48 will serve. Questions from the RIPE NCC come back through your sponsoring LIR.
Can I subdivide my PI assignment to other organizations?
No. RIPE policy explicitly prohibits sub-assignment of PI resources to other organizations. PI space must be used exclusively for your own infrastructure. If you need to hand prefixes to customers you need PA space: an allocation of your own as a RIPE NCC member (€1,000 sign-up and €1,800 per year in 2026 under ripe-848, €1,894 in 2027 under ripe-867) or a sub-allocation from an LIR.
What happens if I no longer need my PI assignment?
Ask your sponsoring LIR to end the sponsorship and return the block. Since November 2025 LIRs do this through a RIPE NCC self-service form that takes effect immediately. The RIPE NCC bills sponsoring LIRs per resource held on 31 December, so a block returned before that date is off the next year's invoice. IPv4 and IPv6 PI can also be transferred to another organization under ripe-807 instead of being returned.
Will my PI addresses be routed globally?
Likely, but not guaranteed. Network operators make independent routing decisions. Most well-connected ISPs route properly-registered PI addresses. To maximize routing acceptance: use reputable ISPs, implement RPKI, maintain accurate IRR records, and announce appropriately-sized prefixes.
Summary
PI space is registered to you, so an ISP change does not force a renumbering. In the RIPE region that now means IPv6: a /48 at minimum, €75 a year to the RIPE NCC plus your sponsoring LIR's fee. IPv4 PI only changes hands through transfers. Either way the block rests on a contract with a sponsoring LIR or the RIPE NCC, and it can move to another LIR without the old one's consent.
Next Steps
If an IPv6 PI /48 fits your network, the request goes through a sponsoring LIR: €75 a year to the RIPE NCC, €435 in the first year through us (as of September 2026). The step-by-step is in RIPE PI Resource Application Process. If you hold PI space under an LIR that is closing, the deadlines in the Sponsoring LIR Model section come first.