How much does it cost to "produce" an /8? Nothing. In the "magical" world of the internet, you don't even need to build a network to use the addresses on. Nor do you need to prove that you actually have any sort of "rights" (as the legal kind) over the addresses. Because there is no one who can grant you such rights. Hate to spoil the magick trick, but no one owns the internet. The whole scheme works on cooperation of network admins and acquiescence of everyone else.
And the top post claims it would be worth $1BB. Keep dreaming.
The truth is that the value is not in addresses, the value is in the network, and those who own the infrastructure, but of course there is no single infrastructure for the internet because it's a network of networks, owned by various parties.
The telephone company can charge you for a telephone number. It owns the network that you're going to use it on. If it didn't own the network, you would not pay for the number. You are paying to use the network. The number is just a formality.
This same is not true for the internet and IP numbers. The RIR's don't own any networks. There isn't even a clear line to the source of their authority to "allocate" address space. Does the US Government own the internet? Good luck with that argument. RIR's charge fees to "allocate" addresses, an administrative job, but we have no idea how the fees are spent. Maybe to pay the CEO's generous salary? How much work is it to keep track of some numbers? Maybe we should ask IANA. The whole scheme works based on cooperation and acquiescence.
No organisation ever paid $1BB for an /8. They got theirs for "free" (inconsequential maintenance fees notwithstanding).
And the top post claims it would be worth $1BB. Keep dreaming.
The truth is that the value is not in addresses, the value is in the network, and those who own the infrastructure, but of course there is no single infrastructure for the internet because it's a network of networks, owned by various parties.
The telephone company can charge you for a telephone number. It owns the network that you're going to use it on. If it didn't own the network, you would not pay for the number. You are paying to use the network. The number is just a formality.
This same is not true for the internet and IP numbers. The RIR's don't own any networks. There isn't even a clear line to the source of their authority to "allocate" address space. Does the US Government own the internet? Good luck with that argument. RIR's charge fees to "allocate" addresses, an administrative job, but we have no idea how the fees are spent. Maybe to pay the CEO's generous salary? How much work is it to keep track of some numbers? Maybe we should ask IANA. The whole scheme works based on cooperation and acquiescence.
No organisation ever paid $1BB for an /8. They got theirs for "free" (inconsequential maintenance fees notwithstanding).