Lack of IPv6 networks may lead to IPv4 blackmarketing - Economic Times

NEW DELHI: If you experienced a slower internet download speed on Wednesday, it was due to the worldwide test trial of the new web protocol IPv6 to continue till Thursday morning. The World IPv6 day, saw about 400 websites such as Yahoo , Google Search, YouTube , Facebook which experimented with the upcoming protocol for 24 hours.

The current protocol IPv4 has exhausted IP addresses, with new consumers and devices getting connected to web everyday. Called as IPv6 for short, the new protocol will replace the existing protocol version 4 (called as IPv4). The new method of routing traffic is being adopted to incorporate the growing need of more internet addresses in the world, as internet expands to devices like mobile phones and tablet Pcs.

India has already planned to move to IPv6 this year, even as many ISPs lack the network infrastructure to handle the new protocol. "A likelihood black marketing of IPv4 addresses is expected as their near exhaustion this year. It would be cheaper for some ISPs to buy IPv4 addresses than buy new hardware," said a small ISP provider in India.

For home users a small tweaking can fix the router to an IPv6 network. "India saw minimal impact. The IPv4 resolution will still continue on the internet," said Naresh Ajwani, vice chairman, address council at ICANN .

Meanwhile India has planned a task force that will take up all IPv6 related issues on priority basis. In the long term all activities of the task force will be taken over by a proposed Indian IPv6 Center for Innovation. The Task Force can be wound up after the Indian IPv6 Center for Innovation has acquired enough capabilities to carry on the unfinished work.

The proposed task force will be headed by telecom secretary and will meet every four months.The apex body of the task force will be responsible for taking policy decisions and will be responsible for guiding the task force by taking strategic decisions.

Its role will be to provide the strategic national directions for the movement of IPv6 in India. It includes providing the vision, mission and strategic plan for IPv6 implementation in India.

Its goal will be to examine the impact of IPv4 address exhaustion from the varying standpoints of the different players involved in the provision of network systems -- infrastructure providers, equipment vendors, system integrators and service providers, imparting the need for an industry-wide recognition of issues and consideration of strategies and countermeasures.