The organisation that organises IP addresses for the Asia Pacific region has announced it has no more IPv4 - the dominant protocol of the Internet - addresses. We found out who's offering IPv6 - its successor - and who isn't.
The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNC) has announced it has run out of IPv4 addresses for general allocation. All remaining addresses will be rationed to its members from now on, and the New Zealand IPv6 Task Force is urging businesses to adopt IPv6 on their networks.
IPv4 is the dominant protocol of the Internet currently but the list of available IP addresses is effectively close to exhaustion globally, said New Zealand IPv6 Task Force Convenor Murray Milner
In the Asia Pacific region, that exhaustion is only a matter of time, said Mr Milner. This meant that the expanding Asia Pacific economies would invest in a IPv6-based Internet and those using IPv4 would not be able to access certain parts of the internet. There was no cause for panic, since IPv4 would still be in use for a decade or so alongside IPv6 and translation between protocols would be available, Mr Milner said. However he said people should not rely on this, and should plan for the change.
"If you plan it, you can manage the cost to a very reasonable level."
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses which means the number of available addresses is four billion. But IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, meaning 340 undecillion available addresses. (340 undecillion = 340 with 36 zeroes after it).
Of the Service Providers in New Zealand currently offering IPv6, the New Zealand IPv6 Task Force lists Fujitsu New Zealand Ltd, Inspire Net, WorldxChange, FX Networks, TelstraClear and KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network). Mr Milner emphasised that this was only a partial list.
"What we're trying to do is to get people to get the ISPs to really come out and tell us what they're doing. Some have, some have been very good, some have been just a little bit slower."
He said the task force was getting "very close" to naming those who were dragging their feet to support IPv6 and that it would canvas ISPs leading up to World IPv6 Day on June 8 for a clear statement of where they would be in terms of IPv6 adoption as of that day.
Of the ISPs NBR talked to, Orcon CEO Scott Bartlett said the ISP had been IPv6 compliant since 2009 and had sold IPv6 to business and wholesale customers since that time.
"Our CPE roadmap is IPv6 compliant. In addition, we have about four to six years' worth of IPv4 addresses left."
Telecom coporate communications manager for retail Emma-Kate Greer said Telecom was looking at how best to accomodate the transition towards IPv6, "when and where it is required". She said Telecom expected a smooth migration with the two protocols running side by side for several years.
"We currently have a sufficient IPv4 address pool to last us a number of years and we will be progressing that transition in a very managed way for customers."
She said Telecom expected a smooth migration with the two protocols running side by side, and many operating systems supported both protocols.
"The extent and rate at which popular content and applications will not be, or will cease to be, reachable via IPv4, and in what timeframe, is very much unconfirmed."
She said although users would have to, at some stage, replace or update their home router, this should not be a present cause for concern.
Vodafone external communications manager Michelle Baguley said Vodafone did not currently support IPv6 for its customers. She said the company had a full programme of activity planned to roll IPv6 out this year, although a commercial launch date had not yet been decided.
"It has been worked on for quite some time and this year is our delivery year."
Slingshot has yet to reply to NBR's query. NBR will continue to canvas other providers.
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