Amateur Radio Digital Communications [ARDC] is a United States
charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation that has
long owned and managed the Internet address space known as the
AMPRNet.

Nearly 40 years ago, early in the evolution of the Internet, this
address allocation was acquired to be used for the mutual benefit
of Amateur Radio and digital communications technology.

Amateur Radio operators ("hams") use the global radio spectrum set
aside for them by international treaty in non-commercial ways to
improve engineering, research, experimentation, training, education,
and emergency communications.  Having the AMPRNet available over
the past four decades has facilitated integration of the Internet
with radio-based technologies long used by hams.  This long term
interaction has been key to development of now ubiquitous wireless
technology such as WiFi and the ability to browse the Internet or
to stream various media to your mobile phone.

Over those past decades, a portion of the AMPRNet IPv4 address space
has rarely been used, and recent utilization surveys show that it
is not likely to ever be needed by hams.

Initially free, IPv4 Internet addresses are now highly valuable,
and there is an international marketplace in which to sell them.
ARDC has sold some of its unused and unneeded address space, but
retains a more than ample supply of IPv4 addresses for current and
future use by the many Amateur Radio operators worldwide.  The sale
amounts to some millions of dollars, which will be used in the
furtherance of ARDC's continuing public benefit purpose.

Before the sale, the AMPRNet consisted of the addresses 44.0.0.0
through 44.255.255.255 (in Internet notation, 44.0.0.0/8). Post-sale,
it consists of addresses 44.0.0.0 through 44.191.255.255 (44.0.0.0/9
plus 44.128.0.0/10).  The uppermost 1/4 of the former AMPRNet address
space (44.192.0.0/10) has been withdrawn from ham radio use and
sold to another owner, however over 12 million IPv4 addresses remain
for amateur radio use.

ARDC will use the proceeds of this address sale to further its
mission to support, promote, and enhance Amateur Radio, digital
communications, and broader communication science and technology
by funding grants and scholarships for scientific research,
experimentation, education, open access, and innovation in information
and communications technology, with an emphasis on benefiting the
international Amateur Radio service.

For further information, please see <https://www.ampr.org/amprnet/>.

Best wishes and 73,
The ARDC Board of Directors