Module implementation aside, I'm now confused as how to go ahead with CPAN. I did send a request to register a namespace using PAUSE, but I was informed by various good folks that its not a needed step. Do I need a certain number of votes here on Perlmonks to get the go ahead?

Please don't, until you explain how it isn't actually the same as Net::IP::ip_range_to_prefix. We don't need a whole module to do what's already done as a subroutine in another module, unless there's something very broken about that implementation.

Then again, if you just want to go pollute the CPAN, I'm really not the one to cast stones. {grin}