Over the past few years, the
topic of implementing IPv6 (a new version of the
Internet Protocol designed to replace version 4 -
IPv4) has been highly popular and is an item on the
agendas and activities of many countries and
organizations. As we approach the hypothetical date
when the central pool of IPv4 addresses shall end
(at some time in 2011), increasingly more attention
has been focused on this issue.
Organizations that are active
in promoting IPv6
Up to now, in the Americas
Region, LACNIC and ARIN have been, without a doubt,
the organizations most actively promoting IPv6,
providing information, funding projects, and
organizing informative activities in various
countries on this protocol and important aspects of
the transition. This year, close to 1,000 persons
have been trained in technical or hands-on
activities. It is not simply a matter of
disseminating what is IPv6, but rather preparing
people from the technical perspective to spearhead
the transitions that are needed in their companies
and organizations.
Likewise, LACNIC and ARIN are not
the only organizations that have been working this
way. Internet Society (ISOC), NIC Brasil (which
trained directly more than 200 technicians of
Internet providers in Brazil in 2009 and implemented
very successful online courses), governments,
international organizations such as CITEL or CTU,
and various national groups in different countries
(labor forces) are some of the players that today
are contributing to generating synergies in this
process.
Are we ready?
Concerns about the level of
progress in adopting IPv6 and doubts about whether
or not we shall be ready when there are no more IPv4
addresses are frequently heard. Although many of us
would like to see IPv6 rolled out now in the
infrastructure of the entire region so we can be
assured that the transition shall be successful, it
turns out that the time when it will truly be
necessary to have IPv6 massively rolled out is when
there are no more IPv4 addresses.
The point therefore is not only
the level of progress achieved up to now but also if
we shall be ready at the right time. From LACNIC, we
can provide an optimistic perspective on this
matter; we believe that the conditions are ripe for
everything to go in that direction. The most
important component to ensure the transition is
trained human resources, and it is on that component
that we have worked the most.
Region’s progress toward IPv6
Despite this, we are seeing very
substantial progress in the rollout of IPv6.
Internet exchange points (IXPs) of at least six
countries of the region are already operating on
native IPv6, including highly emblematic cases such
as Haiti, which has shown that developing countries
can also be leading players in these areas and,
despite the disaster that has recently hit the
country, the NAP continues to function on IPv6. At
least 75% of the ccTLDs of the region are accessible
via IPv6. Several of the root servers installed in
Latin America and the Caribbean by LACNIC under the
+Raíces program are already functioning on IPv6.
The number of IPv6 address
allocations has risen notably this year and, what is
of even greater importance, the number of addresses
of this kind that are being announced from the
region on Internet is also growing at a sound pace,
which shows that the organizations that are
receiving IPv6 addresses are effectively beginning
to use them.
There is still much to be done in
this process of transition to IPv6 in the region and
all players certainly have a role to play, but it is
also good to know that we are on the right track and
that the results are now starting to be seen.
Raúl Echeberría
Executive Director of LACNIC
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