The Indian government has established the National Internet Registry (NIR), a move (IP) addresses more affordable and quicker for locals.

With a local NIR, IP addresses will not be more expensive by some 70 percent, also it’s going to enable purchases to be done in Indian rupees rather than dollars, The Hindu Business Line reported.

In addition, it means Internet service providers (ISPs) can purchase IP addresses from a local bureau, instead of a global one that is a more time consuming procedure. Before the NIR, applicants needed to visit APNIC (Asia-Pacific Network Information Center), which is located in Australia, the report said. APNIC functions as the regional Internet registry for the Asia Pacific area.
Asia-globeWith IP addresses in India a local National Internet Registry, will not be more expensive by some 70 percent.

The newsdaily mentioned an unnamed ISP as saying: “This will finally make the Internet services more affordable to finish consumers as the service providers can sell the IP addresses more affordable to its customers.” For instance, whenever an IP address formerly cost INR 120,000 (US$2,000), it costs around INR 48,000 (US$800), it said.

Indian telecommunications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal, who started the NIR, said it will not just reduce prices in procuring IP addresses, but in addition ease quicker access to advice for government authorities and cybercrime investigators.

The NIR will be run by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), which was acknowledged by APNIC in March this past year, according to the report.

Internationally, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers administers IP addresses. While IP addresses will be sold by ICANN through APNIC, IP addresses will be bought by those in India just from NIR, the report included.

ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade lately told ZDNet Asia the U.S.-based organization intends to grow its presence in Asia and is contemplating Singapore as its first selection for an Asian heart. ICANN is also contemplating a heart in Istanbul for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) heart.

Another report by The Economic Times Friday said India is in the middle of going from IPv4 (Internet protocol version 4) to the newer IPv6, since the former has run out of addresses. As the government’s strategy to develop a national broadband network will have IPv6 addresses execution of IPv6 is vital, it included.