[governance] Warning over Net address limits

[Nyangkwe Agien Aaron]

Hi all
I was on vacation and missed you all.
Howoever, I just stumbled on this intriquing article on the BBC
Website and thought it worth sharing.
Are we heading for an armmagedon?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7068140.stm

Warning over net address limits

Vint Cerf is one of the founding fathers of the net
Internet Service Providers urgently need to roll out the next
generation of net addresses for online devices, internet pioneer Vint
Cerf has said.
Every device that goes online is allocated a unique IP address but the
pool of numbers is finite and due to run out around 2010.

A new system, called IPv6, has been awaiting roll out for 10 years.

Unless IPv6 is switched on in the coming years, some devices might not
be able to go online, Mr Cerf has warned.

Mr Cerf, who played a key role in the development of the protocols
which underpin the global net, said: "There is a risk of not being
able to get online."

He added: "The rate of consumption of available remaining IPv4 numbers
appears to be on track to run out in 2010/11."

Mr Cerf is about to step down as chairman of Icann, the body which
oversees the net, and is also Google's chief internet evangelist.

Potential shortage

The current system, called IPv4 provides four billion addresses but
the explosion in the number of devices which go online has led to the
potential shortage.

Although IPv6 was standardised 10 years ago it has not been rolled out
at speed.

While modern computers, servers, routers and other online devices are
able to use IPv6, internet service providers have yet to implement the
system.

"The reason they haven't - which is quite understandable - is that
customers haven't asked for it yet," said Mr Cerf, adding, "my job,
whether with my Icann hat on or not, is to persuade them to ask for
it.

  To be clear - if we finally exhaust the IPv4 pool it doesn't mean
the internet stops working

Vint Cerf

"If you don't ask for it, then when you most want it you won't have it."

IPv6 will create 340 trillion trillion trillion separate addresses,
enough to satisfy demand for decades to come.

"To be clear - if we finally exhaust the IPv4 pool it doesn't mean the
internet stops working. But people wanting an IPv4 address won't get
one.

"If there is an internet that does not support IPv6, not getting an
IPv4 address means not getting on the net."

He added: "The appreciation of the importance of getting IPv6 into
operation is very much more visible than before.

"I'm anticipating in 2008 a substantial increase of use of IPv6,
introduced in parallel with IPv4."

One complicating factor is that IPv6 and IPv4 are not compatible so
ISPs will have to run the two systems in parallel - adding to costs.

In Asia, governments in China, Korea and Japan have begun to lead roll
out of IPv6 and the European Union is reviewing methods to encourage
adoption.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7068140.stm


-- 
Aaron Agien Nyangkwe
Journalist/Outcome

 Mapper
Special Assistant To The President
Coach of ASAFE Camaroes Street Football Team.
ASAFE
P.O.Box 5213
Douala-Cameroon
Tel. 237 3337 50 22
Cell Phone: 237 79 95 71 97
Fax. 237 3342 29 70
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