National Internet Registry of Afghanistan (NIRA)

Introduction

To improve allocation and registration services for the Asia Pacific Internet community, APNIC provides for the establishment of National Internet Registries (NIRs) within economies of the region. This structure enables registry services to be provided in the local language and culture, allowing better services to ISPs requiring Internet resources.Internet resources (such as IP addresses and Autonomous System number) are currently distributed through a structure of delegated Internet Registry responsibility. IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) allocates address space to APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre) as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR). Address space is further allocated by APNIC either to National Internet Registry (NIRs) or to Local Internet Registries (LIRs).

NIR and LIR

While LIRs are generally ISPs that assign addresses to their own infrastructure and end-user networks, NIRs play a role which is much more similar to that of an RIR, having responsibility for allocation of address space to LIRs within their particular geographic domain. APNIC gives an IR the choice to either directly apply for Internet resources from APNIC or receive Internet resources from an NIR. ISPs in the service region of an NIR are not bound to use the services of that NIR, and may choose to join and request resources from APNIC. APNIC and each NIR must cooperate fully in facilitating the free choice by ISPs of their preferred Internet registry. However, an ISP may receive resources from only one registry at any one time.

APNIC recognizes that the applicable NIR should be the "first choice" for any ISP requesting APNIC membership. APNIC will always refer new membership queries to the NIR where it exists, and will then only accept new membership from within the NIR's constituency where a specific reason and/or preference is expressed.

NIRs have long existed within the APNIC structure and have fulfilled an important role in serving organizations within their respective countries or economies. NIRs can satisfy the need for procedures and services that take account of local cultural differences; however it is important to note that NIRs must operate in a way that is consistent with regional and global resource management policies. It is also essential that NIRs are neutral, open, and transparent in all their operations.

National Internet Registry of Afghanistan (NIRA) is not-for-profit, Government organization responsible for providing the service of allocating and registering Internet resources in Afghanistan.

This document states that an Afghan Internet registry be formed called NIRA (National Internet Registry of Afghanistan) primarily responsible for the allocation of address space to its members and with funding and structure model similar to APNIC.

This entity is responsible to provide registry services in the local language and culture, allowing better services to LIRs (Local Internet Registry) and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) requiring Internet resources. Such an Afghan Internet registry will allocate IP address space, autonomous system numbers, and other identifiers that might from time to time be appropriate, maintain databases of registry information, make appropriate views of the databases (for example, DNS, WHOIS, registration of Internet resources) available for query from the database which will be available publicly and tasks to be performed that are expected of registry.

MISION

NIRA's mission has been defined as:

  • Promoting faire and equal access to public Internet resources and its internetworking technologies in Afghanistan by maintaining and evaluating effective administrative process necessary for operation of the global Internet.

This value is intended to guide the way that NIRA does its work, in pursuit of the mission described above, and towards the objectives listed below.

Objective

NIRA has been established with the aim of enforcing the objectives of exclusivity, preservation, routeability and information. Typically, IP address spaces are assigned to end users by ISPs. These IP address spaces are previously assigned to NIRs and ISPs by Regional Internet Registries. Under this system, end users are organizations that operate networks that use IP address spaces. NIRs, like APNIC, maintain IP address spaces to be allocated or assigned to end users or Internet Service Providers.

Assigned IP address space is used to operate networks, whereas allocated IP address space is kept in Internet Registries for future assignment to end users.

The objectives of NIRA can be listed as:

  • Overseeing the formation and operation of NIRA
  • Harmonization of policies on Internet address management
  • Harmonization of actions and activities at international levels to facilitate the development and availability of the Internet
  • Supervision of public Internet resources (IPv4 and IPv6,Multicast, Private Address Space, and  Autonomous Number,) in Afghanistan
  • Define Internet resource policy
  • Growth and evolution of the Internet architecture in Afghanistan
  • Coordinate Internet-related conferences, workshops, and seminars
  • Exercise of foresight and initiative in planning for the future
  • To assist the Afghanistan’s Internet community in the development of procedures,  mechanisms, and standards to efficiently allocate Internet resources as a service to the community as a whole

These statements are subject to review in later planning sessions, but it is not expected that they will require extensive reworking in future.