Geoff Huston

Geoff Huston

Chief Scientist

  • IP exhaustion
  • Internet architecture, addressing and addresses
  • Internet governance, self-regulation, and management
  • Key Internet organizations, including ICANN, the ASO, NRO, and the RIRs
  • IPv6 architecture and deployment trends
  • The Internet in developing economies
  • Security and RPKI for Internet Number resources (Resource Certification)
  • Inter-domain routing techniques, trends, and research questions

Geoff Huston is the Chief Scientist at the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), where he undertakes research on topics associated with Internet infrastructure, IP technologies, and address distribution policies.

Widely regarded as the preeminent researcher on IPv4 exhaustion, he is routinely referenced by international agencies and frequently quoted by the ICT media.

Geoff has also presented at a number of global technical and government forums, including:

  • The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  • The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
  • The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
  • The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
  • The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
  • His research was recently quoted in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publication, The Internet Technical Community Issues Memorandum on the Future of the Internet in a Global Economy published in 2008.

He has also been recently quoted in a number of news features for ComputerWorld, ZDNet, CommsDay, MISAsia, PC Authority, The Register, and CIOL Cybertimes.

In 2020, Geoff was made a member in the general division of the Order of Australia (AM) for his role as an Internet pioneer in Australia.

Current Position and Activities

Geoff Huston is the Chief Scientist at the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), where he undertakes research on topics associated with Internet infrastructure, IP technologies, and address distribution policies.

Widely regarded as the preeminent researcher on IPv4 exhaustion, he is routinely referenced by international agencies and frequently quoted by the ICT media.

Geoff has also presented at a number of global technical and government forums, including:

His research was recently quoted in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publication, The Internet Technical Community Issues Memorandum on the Future of the Internet in a Global Economy published in 2008.

Previous Positions

From 1995 to 2005, Geoff was the Chief Internet Scientist at Telstra, where he took a leading role in the construction and development of Telstra’s Internet service offerings, both in Australia and as part of Telstra’s global operations.

Prior to Telstra, he worked for the Australian peak university body, the Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee, where he led the initial construction of the Internet in Australia in the late 1980s as the Technical Manager of the Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNET).

Prior to this, he was the Network Manager at the Australian National University.

Education/Achievements

BSc (Hons), Australian National University
MSc (Computer Science), Australian National University

Current positions outside of APNIC

He is the author of a number of books about IP technology:

Internet Performance Survival Guide
by Geoff Huston, John Wiley & Sons, published February 2000

An ISP Survival Guide
by Geoff Huston, John Wiley & Sons, published November 1998

Quality of Service: Delivering QoS on the Internet and in Corporate Networks
by Paul Ferguson and Geoff Huston, John Wiley & Sons, published February 1998

He was a member of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) from 1999 until 2005, and served as its Executive Director from 2001 to 2005.

An active member of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), he currently chairs the SHIM6 Working Groups focusing on site multi-homing in IPv6.

Geoff served on the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society (ISOC) from 1992 until 2001, and served a term as Chair of the Board in 1999.

He has also served on the Board of the Public Internet Registry and the Executive Council of the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC).

He chaired the Internet Engineering and Planning Group (IEPG) from 1992 until 2005.

Websites

Visit Geoff’s website.