How to Get an IPv6 /48: PA vs PI, Costs, and Requirements

Introduction

Here's a question that sounds simple but isn't: "How do I get IPv6?"

You might be asking how to enable IPv6 on a single VPS. Or how to get a /48 prefix you can announce via BGP from multiple data centers. Or whether you qualify for Provider Independent address space that follows you between providers forever. The same three-word question maps to fundamentally different answers depending on what you're actually trying to do.

Most people who search "how to get IPv6" don't need a tutorial on editing /etc/network/interfaces. They need a map of the landscape: the paths that exist, what each one costs, what control it gives you, and which one matches what they're building.

This article draws that map.

Quick decision

You only need IPv6 on servers you already run: use the IPv6 delegation from your ISP or cloud provider.
You want to originate a prefix with your own ASN and BGP: assess a PA /48 through a Sponsoring LIR.
You need an assignment registered to your organisation for its own infrastructure: assess PI through a Sponsoring LIR, including its contract and lifecycle terms.

White-Face Xiaolu considers two carefully managed routes for obtaining IPv6 address space.

The right IPv6 path depends on what you need to operate, not on a one-size-fits-all idea of ownership.

Provider Aggregatable (PA) — IPv6 address space assigned from an ISP or LIR allocation. Its lifecycle, RPKI administration, and any move to a new sponsor are governed by that provider's agreement and the applicable registry process. Provider Independent (PI) — IPv6 address space registered to the end-user organisation in the RIR database. In the RIPE NCC service region, it is requested and maintained through a Sponsoring LIR, even though the assignment is registered to the end user.

Step Zero: Decide What You're Actually Trying to Do

Before comparing paths, separate two fundamentally different goals:

You want to...	What you actually need	Typical path
Use IPv6 on existing servers or services	IPv6 addresses from your current provider	ISP or cloud provider delegation
Operate your own routed prefix	A suitable prefix; an ASN and BGP if you will originate it yourself	LIR assignment (PA) or PI through a Sponsoring LIR

If you're in the first category — a developer deploying an application on a cloud platform, or a small business running a website on a managed VPS — your provider almost certainly offers IPv6 already. Enable it in your control panel, add AAAA records to your DNS, and you're done. The rest of this article covers the second category.

If you're in the second category — you want address space that's yours, independent of any single provider, announced via BGP under your own ASN — read on.

Path 1: ISP or Cloud Provider Delegation

Every ISP and cloud provider that supports IPv6 allocates addresses from its own RIR-issued block to customers. This is the simplest path.

What you get: A prefix delegated from the provider's allocation — typically a /56 or /64 for a residential connection, a /48 or /56 for business connections, or a /64 per cloud instance.

Advantages:

Zero paperwork. Enable a toggle, get addresses.
No RIR relationship required. The provider handles all registry interactions.
No BGP required. The provider announces the covering prefix; your addresses are reachable automatically.

Limitations:

Provider lock-in. The addresses belong to the provider's allocation. If you change providers, you renumber every server, every DNS record, and every service that references those addresses.
No routing autonomy. You can't announce the prefix from multiple providers for multihoming or anycast. You can't control routing policy. Your addresses are reachable only through the provider that gave them to you.
Limited allocation size. Most cloud providers give you a /64 per instance — one subnet. Some don't even give you that. You won't get enough space to build a multi-site deployment with separate subnets per location or environment.

When this makes sense: You run your infrastructure on a single provider, you don't operate BGP, and provider lock-in is an acceptable trade-off for operational simplicity. This covers most small-to-medium deployments.

Path 2: Sponsoring LIR — PA IPv6 /48

A Sponsoring LIR is an organization that is already a RIPE NCC member and can sponsor address space for end users who don't hold their own membership. This is how most organizations obtain their first IPv6 /48 — and it is the path that SKNK provides.

What you get: With SKNK, a PA /48 IPv6 prefix from the LIR's allocation, usually alongside an ASN. It can be used in production and announced through BGP when your upstream accepts the route. The exact RIPE Database contacts, ROA workflow, and resource-management permissions are set by the sponsoring LIR's agreement.

How it works:

You contract with a Sponsoring LIR that provides ASN and IPv6 sponsorship services.
The Sponsoring LIR assigns the PA prefix from its allocation and handles the registry workflow that applies to the service.
You receive the ASN and IPv6 /48 details under the provider's published delivery process.
Confirm which maintainer, route-object, and ROA actions you can perform yourself and which the sponsor performs for you.
Configure BGP sessions with upstream providers, complete the required routing-security and registry steps, and announce your prefix.

Advantages:

Lower cost and barrier to entry compared to full RIPE NCC membership.
Faster provisioning — Sponsoring LIRs handle the RIR process; you receive resources without navigating RIPE policy yourself.
Full routing control. You can announce your prefix via BGP, choose your upstream providers, and build multihomed or anycast architectures.

Limitations:

Not PI. The prefix is part of the Sponsoring LIR's aggregate. Do not assume that it can move with you; review the sponsor's agreement before making it a dependency of a long-lived service.
Dependency on the sponsor. You rely on the Sponsoring LIR for RIR interactions, resource updates, and ongoing compliance. Choose a sponsor with a track record of operational reliability.
Scaling constraints. If you need more address space or need to serve other organisations, discuss the correct LIR/PA allocation model with a RIPE NCC member rather than assuming that a PA /48 can simply grow.

When this makes sense: You need your own ASN and IPv6 prefix, you want BGP routing control, and you value speed and lower cost over the independence of full RIR membership. This describes most startups, hosting providers, and network operators getting started with their own resources. For detailed cost context across both models, read ASN Cost Explained and €89 vs €2,850: The Real Cost of Running Your Own ASN.

Path 3: Provider Independent (PI) IPv6

Provider Independent IPv6 address space is registered to your organisation in the RIPE Database rather than being an assignment from an upstream's PA allocation. In the RIPE NCC service region, however, it is requested and maintained through a Sponsoring LIR.

What you get: A PI IPv6 assignment registered to your organisation. It is not part of an upstream's PA allocation, but you still keep a contractual relationship with a Sponsoring LIR for the assignment's lifecycle.

How it works:

Find a RIPE NCC member willing to act as your Sponsoring LIR.
Sign the required end-user agreement and submit the PI request through that LIR.
The Sponsoring LIR submits the request to RIPE NCC; confirm current eligibility, fees, and operational responsibilities with that LIR before ordering.
If approved, the PI assignment is registered to your organisation in the RIPE Database.

Advantages:

Independence from upstream PA space. The assignment is registered to your organisation, rather than being drawn from the addressing space of the ISP carrying your traffic.
Portability objective. A PI assignment is designed for independent use across upstreams, subject to its contractual and registry requirements.

Limitations:

Sponsoring-LIR relationship required. You cannot request IPv6 PI directly from RIPE NCC; choose an LIR that offers PI sponsorship and review its ongoing fee and contract terms.
Use restriction. A PI assignment is for the end user's own infrastructure and cannot be sub-assigned to other organisations.
Cost and process. Fees and processing times are set by the sponsoring LIR and can change. Obtain a current quote rather than relying on a generic membership-cost comparison.
Routing table impact. PI prefixes are less aggregatable by design — each PI /48 is a separate entry in the global routing table. PA prefixes aggregate under the sponsoring ISP's larger block, which is routing-table-friendly.

When this makes sense: Your organisation has a long-term need for a prefix registered to it, needs to use that prefix across upstreams, and can maintain a Sponsoring LIR relationship. It is appropriate for an organisation's own infrastructure; it is not a substitute for an LIR allocation when you need to sub-assign space to customers.

PA vs PI: How to Choose

	PA (Sponsoring LIR)	PI (Provider Independent)
Registration	Under sponsor's allocation in RIPE DB	Directly to your organization in RIPE DB
Portability	Depends on the sponsor agreement and registry process	Designed for independent use across upstreams; Sponsoring LIR relationship remains required
Cost	Service-specific annual sponsorship fee	Sponsoring-LIR PI fee and contractual obligations; obtain a current quote
Eligibility	Defined by the LIR's assignment policy and contract	PI end-user agreement and current RIPE NCC process apply
BGP routing	Can be announced when the sponsor, registry objects, and upstream policy permit	Can be announced when registry objects and upstream policy permit
Aggregation	Aggregates under sponsor's larger block (routing-table-friendly)	Separate routing table entry (less aggregatable)
Setup time	Set by the sponsor's delivery process	Set by the sponsoring LIR and RIPE NCC processing; confirm before ordering
Best for	First routed prefix where the sponsor's PA terms fit	Long-term, end-user-owned infrastructure that needs independence from upstream PA space

Three Scenarios

Early-stage startup building a multi-cloud deployment. You need an ASN and IPv6 to announce from two VPS providers for redundancy, and the PA prefix terms meet your portability and RPKI requirements. → PA through a Sponsoring LIR.

Growing hosting provider with 200+ customers and three data centers. You need to assign address space to customers. → Discuss an LIR PA allocation/sub-allocation model with RIPE NCC members; PI is not for sub-assigning to other organisations.

Enterprise with regulatory requirements specifying provider-independent addressing. Your compliance framework or procurement policy mandates that critical infrastructure IP resources be registered to the organisation. → PI through a Sponsoring LIR.

There's no universally correct choice. PI offers more independence; PA offers lower friction and cost. Most organizations start with PA, and many never need to switch. Read Why Most Startups Don't Need a RIPE Membership for more context on the PA-first approach.

After You Get Your /48: What Comes Next

Receiving the allocation is the midpoint, not the end. Here's the sequence:

Register resources in the RIPE Database — Ensure your inet6num object is correct and your maintainer credentials are functional.
Confirm the RPKI ROA workflow — Authorise your ASN to originate the prefix, either through your permitted account access or through the sponsor. Without a ROA, a route is normally RPKI NotFound; it becomes Invalid only when a covering ROA conflicts with it. Read What Is RPKI? for the full picture.
Register IRR route6 objects where required — Document the prefix-to-ASN mapping if your upstream's filtering policy requires it.
Set up BGP sessions — Configure BIRD 2 or FRRouting on your edge routers, exchange peering details with your upstream providers, and bring sessions to Established.
Announce and verify — Export your prefix to your upstreams, then check bgp.tools, RIPE Atlas, and multiple looking glasses to confirm global propagation.
Plan your subnet architecture — Divide your /48 into /64 subnets for each location, environment, and VLAN. The next article in this series covers this step in detail.

Before you make the announcement live, use the RPKI & BGP Status Lookup to check the prefix and origin ASN from the public Internet's point of view.

For the full operational walkthrough from Day 0 to a working BGP network, read What Happens After You Get an ASN?.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get an IPv6 /48?

Delivery time depends on the Sponsoring LIR's process, the resource type, and any RIPE NCC processing. Ask the provider for its current delivery estimate; do not plan a production cutover around a generic timeline.

Can I get multiple /48 prefixes?

An LIR can assign a range of IPv6 prefix sizes to an end user. A /48 is a common organisation-sized prefix; additional or larger space needs a documented business and routing case under the applicable policy and the LIR's process.

What's the difference between a /48 and a /32?

A /32 is the minimum IPv6 allocation size RIPE NCC normally makes to an LIR, which can then make assignments to end users. A /48 is a common end-user-sized prefix. An LIR with a /32 can make thousands of /48-sized assignments, subject to policy and registration requirements.

Do I need IPv6 if I already have IPv4?

They're parallel protocols. Having IPv4 doesn't give you IPv6, and vice versa. If you operate an ASN and announce IPv4 prefixes, adding IPv6 announcements is straightforward — the same BGP sessions carry both address families. Most networks operate dual-stack: both protocols simultaneously. The incremental operational cost of adding IPv6 to an existing BGP setup is low.

Can I get IPv6 PI space without being a RIPE NCC member?

Yes — and this is the required route in the RIPE NCC service region. Choose a RIPE NCC member that offers PI sponsorship, then confirm the end-user agreement, fees, and operational responsibilities before committing.

What does IPv6 cost annually?

PA and PI costs are commercial terms set by the sponsoring LIR. SKNK's current PA sponsorship pricing is described in ASN Cost Explained; ask any PI sponsor for a current quote and the ongoing contract terms.

Is my IPv6 /48 globally routable?

Not automatically. A prefix becomes reachable only after an upstream accepts and announces it, and other networks propagate that route. PA/PI status is an administrative distinction; real-world reachability also depends on prefix-filtering policies, ROAs, IRR requirements, and the size of the route you announce. Verify propagation with multiple looking glasses after deployment.

Conclusion

Obtaining IPv6 address space follows three paths, and the right one depends entirely on what you're building with it.

ISP and cloud provider delegation handles the simplest case — enable a toggle, get addresses. Provider Aggregatable space through a Sponsoring LIR handles the most common case for serious operators — your own /48 and ASN, BGP control, lower cost and faster setup than full RIR membership. Provider Independent space handles the case where long-term independence justifies the higher barrier — a permanent resource registered to your organization, portable by design.

The decision isn't about which one is "best" in the abstract. It's about matching the path to the stage of infrastructure you're operating. Most organizations that eventually need PI started with PA. Most organizations that now run BGP started with a single cloud provider's IPv6. The important thing is understanding what each path gives you — and taking the one that matches what you're actually building.

Key Takeaways

"Getting IPv6" splits into using provider-routed addresses and operating a prefix you announce yourself; the latter normally requires an ASN and BGP.
PA through a Sponsoring LIR is a practical option when the sponsor's lifecycle and portability terms fit the project.
In the RIPE NCC service region, PI is registered to the end user but still requested and maintained through a Sponsoring LIR.
PI cannot be sub-assigned to other organisations; use an LIR PA allocation model when customer assignments are required.
After receiving a prefix, coordinate RPKI and IRR steps with the sponsor and satisfy each upstream's routing policy before announcing it.
ISP/cloud delegation is perfectly adequate if you don't operate BGP and don't need routing autonomy.

In One Sentence

For a first routed IPv6 prefix, PA through a Sponsoring LIR is often the simplest route; PI is the end-user-registered alternative, also obtained through a Sponsoring LIR, when its lifecycle terms fit your infrastructure.

Continue Reading

What Is IPv6? A Beginner's Guide — the foundation: why IPv6 exists, how addresses work, and what a /48 prefix actually means.
IPv6 Subnetting Explained: /48, /64, and How Many Addresses You Actually Need — what to do with your /48 after you receive it: subnet planning, addressing templates, and common mistakes.
RIPE NCC vs LIR Sponsorship: Costs, Control, and Trade-offs — the wider comparison of LIR operations and the sponsorship model.
What Is an ASN? A Complete Beginner's Guide — the network identity you need alongside your IPv6 prefix to announce it on the Internet.
How to Get Your Own ASN — the application paths, requirements, and process for obtaining an Autonomous System Number.
What Happens After You Get an ASN? — the operational sequence from allocation to a working BGP network.