The world is running out of IP addresses issued under version 4 of the Internet Protocol (IPv4). An IP address is the unique identifier for each laptop, PC, Mac or mobile internet enabled phone. Just like a telephone number it allows these devices to communicate with one another.
In the same way that telephone numbers have had to be increased in size to accommodate the growing number of such devices in use, IP addresses need to be increased in size as more and more people around the world demand to be connected to the World Wide Web.
Internet Enabled Devices
The problem was recognised a long time ago and version 6 of the protocol (IPv6) was devised in 1994 in order to address it. At that time it was believed that it would be many years before the IPv4 addresses would run out.
As more and more internet enabled devices were purchased during the early years of the 21st century the possibility of the addresses running out drew nearer. The recession of 2008/9 saw the demand for new addresses fall but recently there has been an increase in the take up of addresses.
Throughout the whole of 2009, the Internet Assigned Number Authority handed out eight of the big blocks of IPv4 addresses. In the first 100 days of 2010, it has handed out six. The latest prediction is that the last block of numbers will be issued before the end of 2011.
Industry Experts and Global Perspectives
The Dublin conference will be addressed by industry experts from around the world who will provide global perspectives on IPv6 adoption and challenges.
There are IPv6 promotion organisations in most countries of the world but many of them struggle to achieve acceptance of their message. China, with a rapidly growing demand for internet services among its 1 billion plus population, embraced IPv6 several years ago. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing made extensive use of IPv6 enabled internet services. Elsewhere there has been less enthusiasm, especially during the recent recession.
Internet Service Providers Need to Act
Recently, however, agencies like the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) have begun issuing dire warnings about the need for Internet Service Providers and businesses to begin thinking about and planning for the changeover to IPv6. John Curran is the Registry’s CEO and says the transition will not be clean because IPv6 is not backwards compatible with version 4. So ISPs will need to support both protocols for the foreseeable future.
The demand for IPv6 may be low now ,he pointed out, but will increase as ARIN starts to run out of version 4 addresses over the next 18 months. Meanwhile Simon McCalla, director of IT at Nominet, which oversees the .uk domain recently told BBC News Technology correspondent Mark Ward he believes that “The key thing to focus on is the opportunities IPv6 brings your business before IPv4 runs out,"
The Dublin summit is one of several similar events scheduled to take place around the world during the summer of 2010. The next is the Rocky Mountain 2010 IPv6 Summit scheduled for 26 and 27 May 2010 in Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center.
Sources for this article include
- BBC News,"Internet approaches addressing limit", Mark Ward, 11 May 2010, Accessed 16 May 2010
- Science Foundation Ireland,"Irish IPv6 Summit 2010: Broadband for the Future Internet", News and Events, Accessed 16 May 2010
- IPv6 Act Now IPv6: D-Day coming for ISPs, 14 May 2010, Accessed 16 May 2010
- The IPv6 Portal. General background information and links to news items
Frank Parker - Frank writes regularly on a diverse range of subjects which he researches thoroughly.
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