RIPE Network Coordination Centre
We're an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet through technical coordination in our service region. Our most prominent activity is to act as the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) providing global Internet resources and related services (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Number resources) to members in our service region.
If your organisation needs IPv6 address space and AS Numbers, and/or makes assignments to End Users or customers, you should become a RIPE NCC member. RIPE NCC members are also eligible to request a one-time /24 allocation of recovered IPv4 address space for their LIR account. Any legal entity or natural person can become a member of RIPE NCC.
Réseaux IP Européens (RIPE, French for "European IP Networks") is a forum open to all parties interested in wide area IP networks. The objective of RIPE is to ensure the administrative and technical coordination necessary to enable the operation of the Internet.
RIPE is not a standardisation organisation like the IETF and does not deal with domain names like ICANN.
RIPE is not a legal entity and has no formal membership. This means that anybody who is interested in the work of RIPE can participate through mailing lists and by attending meetings.
RIPE activities are performed on a voluntary basis and decisions are formed by consensus.
Work is carried out within a variety of working groups. Each has one or more mailing lists where relevant topics and questions are discussed.
RIPE Working Groups meet throughout the year during RIPE Meetings.
The RIPE community elects members of the NRO NC, which is a coordinating body for the world's five RIRs.