Australian Internet service provider (ISP) Internode has given a shot in the arm to those of us promoting use of the next generation of Internet technology, Internet Protocol version 6. We need IPv6 to ensure all our computers and devices can readily communicate with each other. It provides for a massive number of direct addresses, like individual “Internet phone numbers”, overcoming a limitation that dates from the beginnings of the Net.
The Internode announcement of availability of IPv6 follows a similar announcement in New Zealand by Northland’s Uber Group. I note that TelstraClear has an evolving story, WorldxChange has been trialing IPv6 to its customers, Inspire Net is active, and FX Networks has been in the IPv6 market for a long time. I can’t wait to see even more come out of the woodwork and compete.
Prior to this embryonic competition, and lacking a Y2K-style deadline to force the issue, it’s been a hell of a job to convince enterprise customers in both corporate and government of the need to build capacity for IPv6 sooner rather than later. The collaborative NZ IPv6 Task Force has been active and these days theawareness is out there but more IPv6 Internet service supply is needed.
When it comes to the domestic market, hiding behind some of the ISP reticence is the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) issue. While business-level routers are available, reasonably-priced IPv6 equipment for home is not. Naturally, equipment manufacturers want to see demand from ISPs as they re-engineer products, but they’ve had a decade and a half to prepare! They may, however, have a good excuse as the International standards organisation IETF is working on home networking standards for IPv6.
I hope this supply chain is sorted in time for the bulk of the UltraFast Broadband (UFB) network and the Australian NBN network. It will be a crying shame if ISPs are shipping home routers that aren’t compatible with IPv6 as the big migration to the next generation fibre network gets underway.
Note that, at least in New Zealand, the Local Fibre Companies (LFCs) don’t deal with IPv6 themselves as it is a protocol issue above the layers of the Internet that they deal with. Each home here will get a basic network box from their LFC, but the router with the IPv6 on it will be from the ISP or a store like Dick Smith or JB Hi-Fi.
So let’s celebrate these announcements of IPv6 support from ISPs and telcos as they arise, continue to raise awareness of IPv6 and keep the friendly pressure on those dragging the chain.
(originally posted at rwoodnz.net)