The great IPv4 selloff has begun.... A batch of 150,000 sold for £600,000 ($930,000)
The surplus addresses are part of a much bigger block of 16 million addresses given to the Department of Work and Pensions in 1993.
No I don't know why the DWP has 16 million addreses either. I'm guessing something along the lines of
Each individual IP address was worth up to $11 (£7), she said, but prices were lower when big deals were done. (such as this one)
The government thinks it can "sell off" 5 million IPs which would raise about £15m ($24m).