Any cell phone that uses data service to download a ringtone, wallpaper, picature, use their TV/radio webcast service, or their walkie talkie feature will use an IP address. In addition to that Verizon wireless sells their EVDO aircards for laptops. Given the size of their customer base it is not shocking that they have 27 million IP addresses in their pool. ARIN doesn't just give them away it would be up to Verizon to prove that they are utilizing 90+% before they could be alloted any additional IP's. Hope this helps explain things a little bit. -Tim Eberhard Sure, smart phones are becoming more popular. It's reasonable to assume
that virtually all cell phones will eventually have an IP address almost all the time. But that isn't the case right now, and the ARIN is in the business of supplying its members with six months worth of addresses. If everyone is expected to run out and buy a new phone and start using "the Google" right away, and stay on it all the time, maybe cellular operators really need a lot more IP addresses. If not, why does Verizon Wireless have 27 million IPs when the above comment indicates they need only a tenth of that?
- j