Hosting News - Changes to APNIC fee structure

Changes to APNIC fee structure

Contents

• Why are APNIC fees now payable in Australian dollars?
• I am unable to pay my invoice in Australian dollars. How can I make the payment?
• How were the new APNIC fees (in AUD) determined?
• Has APNIC increased its membership fees?
• How was the decision made?
• Does the Executive Council have the authority to change the fee structure?
• How long will this fee structure remain in place?
• I would like to downgrade to a lower membership tier to reduce my fees. Is this possible?

Why are APNIC fees now payable in Australian dollars?

The decision to change from US dollars to Australian dollars was made because the US dollar's fluctuating value was causing APNIC's financial position to deteriorate.

Most of APNIC's expenses are paid for in Australian dollars, so in order to ensure a stable and predictable budget it was determined that our revenue should also be in the same currency.

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I am unable to pay my invoice in Australian dollars. How can I make the payment?

Your bank should be able to convert your local currency into Australian dollars using the exchange rate applicable to that day. If your bank does not have this facility please contact Member Services for assistance.

How were the new APNIC fees (in AUD) determined?

The new AUD fees were calculated directly from the existing USD fee schedule, based on the exchange rate of 0.7889, which was the expected exchange rate for 2007 (used to calculate the APNIC budget for that year).

Has APNIC increased its membership fees?

No. Due to the continuing decline in the value of the USD during 2007, most APNIC members will find that the cost of APNIC membership has increased in local currency terms. However, this cost should be no higher in most cases than the local cost of APNIC membership during 2006. It is noted that the cost of APNIC membership during 2004 and 2005 was even higher, due to the higher value of the USD during those years.

How was the decision made?

A proposal to change the APNIC fee structure was made at the APNIC 24 meeting in September 2007. This proposal contained two specific modifications: That APNIC's fees should be set in Australian dollars using a conversion rate of 0.7889, and that an additional increase of 7% be applied to the fees.

This proposal was voted on at APNIC 24; however, it failed to pass by a narrow margin.

At its meeting of 11 October 2007, the APNIC Executive Council considered the outcome of the vote in the light of the current financial environment, and determined that APNIC would change its fee schedule to use Australian dollars, but without the 7% fee increase.

Does the Executive Council have the authority to change the fee structure?

Under the APNIC Bylaws (Section 4), the APNIC EC has the responsibility of establishing the membership fees. While a number of changes in the fee schedule were undertaken by the EC following a vote by the APNIC Membership in the past, such a membership vote has not been strictly necessary under the Bylaws. In this case, the EC felt it necessary to exercise its authority based on the previous vote and associated discussions.

The possibility of changing to Australian currency and not increasing the fees has been raised numerous times during previous discussions at the APNIC meeting and within the Fees Working Group, and it has received widespread support with no objections.

How long will this fee structure remain in place?

Prior to this adjustment, the APNIC fee structure had not changed significantly for several years. This measure was undertaken based upon an analysis that further variation in the exchange rate between USD and AUD would further threaten APNIC's financial stability. Fee structure reviews are undertaken in conjunction with the membership via the Fees Working Group.

I would like to downgrade to a lower membership tier to reduce my fees. Is this possible?

Your membership tier is directly related to the amount of Internet number resources you hold. To move to a lower tier you would be required to return resources to APNIC.