> Are we actually running out of addresses or is this a money grab kinda thing?
We "ran out" some time ago. Of course, IP addresses don't get used up, so this can be defined different ways. It's no longer possible to get brand new (i.e. never used) IP addresses from the regional registries, so the only way to get a block is to buy it from another company.
Cloud companies have been buying up IPv4 space like crazy since the registries ran out. A couple years ago Amazon bought half of MIT's /8 block, and just a few weeks ago they bought a quarter of the /8 that was originally set aside for HAM radio.
So we'll never exactly "run out" per se. It's like real estate. They're not making more, but you can still buy it. It just gets more expensive. (And hopefully we eventually move to IPv6 which isn't so maddeningly restricted.)
We "ran out" some time ago. Of course, IP addresses don't get used up, so this can be defined different ways. It's no longer possible to get brand new (i.e. never used) IP addresses from the regional registries, so the only way to get a block is to buy it from another company.
Cloud companies have been buying up IPv4 space like crazy since the registries ran out. A couple years ago Amazon bought half of MIT's /8 block, and just a few weeks ago they bought a quarter of the /8 that was originally set aside for HAM radio.
So we'll never exactly "run out" per se. It's like real estate. They're not making more, but you can still buy it. It just gets more expensive. (And hopefully we eventually move to IPv6 which isn't so maddeningly restricted.)