As mentioned in a recent RIPE Labs article marking four years of RIPE Atlas anchors, the RIPE NCC is launching its campaign to sponsor 15 new anchors, thanks to funds raised through RIPE Atlas sponsorship. This is your chance to get on board with the RIPE Atlas community, to help support all the services made available by RIPE Atlas anchors (e.g. DNSMON, HTTP measurements, etc.), and to enjoy the benefits of becoming a RIPE Atlas anchor host.

DNSMON: RIPE Atlas anchors measure reachability and the responses of name servers of the monitored zones

Those who want to know more about anchors, their role in the RIPE Atlas infrastructure, and the benefits of becoming a host can do so by visiting this page, or by reading up on RIPE Atlas use cases. 

The Campaign

The RIPE Atlas anchor network has been steadily expanding over the past four years, with the total number of anchors having reached 243 at the time of writing this article. Here at the RIPE NCC, with ongoing support from the other RIRs, we devote a great deal of effort to ensuring that this expansion will continue.

The campaign to sponsor 15 new RIPE Atlas anchors will make an important contribution to our efforts to further extend the anchor network, encouraging the deployment of anchors in regions that, as of yet, have little or no coverage.

For each sponsored anchor, the RIPE NCC will cover the costs of hardware and shipping, as well as any customs related costs that might arise. All the host will need to provide is proper Internet connectivity, rack space, and a power supply for the anchor, along with the usual hands-on support involved in helping make sure the anchor continues to function properly. 

Criteria

Given that the goal of the campaign is to extend the RIPE Atlas anchor network into new regions, there are certain criteria that we will have in mind when we come to consider potential candidates for sponsorship. In particular, preference will be given to candidates who are:

• Located in areas that have little or no coverage on the RIPE Atlas anchor network (check our anchor map to see if your area is on the network)
• Not-for-profit organisations who do not have access to funds for purchasing the necessary hardware
• Located within the RIPE NCC service area. 

That said, although we will usually prefer to sponsor candidates who fulfil one or more of these criteria, we will nevertheless be open to sponsoring those who don’t if they happen to be located in areas where the deployment of an anchor would be considered beneficial to the RIPE Atlas community.

Apply

Those who are interested hosting a sponsored RIPE Atlas anchor can apply now. The application form is the same as that normally used for new anchor hosts, but those interested in a sponsored anchor should add a comment in the 'notes' section indicating that you wish to be considered for sponsorship (if this note is not included, the application will be treated as a normal unsponsored application). Please note that you'll need a RIPE NCC Access account to apply.

Apply to Host a Sponsored RIPE Atlas Anchor

All applicants should ensure that they are able to satisfy the requirements for hosting a RIPE Atlas anchor and should also agree to the terms and conditions for RIPE Atlas service as well as the MoU for RIPE Atlas anchor hosts. If you have any questions about the sponsored anchor campaign, please feel free to contact us at atlas@ripe.net.  

We encourage anyone who is interested, and particularly those who meet the criteria listed above, to apply. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved, to enjoy the benefits of hosting an anchor, and to make a genuine contribution to the RIPE Atlas community.