Workshop: IPV6 The Solution fot the future Internet

(Workshop Nr. 42, 4th Dec. 2008, 09.00 – 10.30, Room 4)

ERNET, India: Dr. Dipak Singh, [email protected]

Telscom, Switzerland: Dr. Sathya Rao, [email protected]

6CHOICE: The Organisation of this workshop was facilitated by active participation of European

The project have assembled different stakeholders of future Internet in India and Europe to

promote IPv6 through interconnecting ERNET and GEANT networks with native IPv6 and doing

multiple experiments across and through organizing workshops and training events.

Contact: [email protected]

ERNET, India

European Commission

Telscom, Switzerland

IPv6 Forum, Luxembourg,

ISOC, Geneva

SIFY; India

Dr. Mario Campolargo, Director, European Commissin, Brussels

Dr. Sathya Rao, Director, Telscom, Switzerland

Dr. Govind, Director, Dept. Of Telecommunications, Govt. Of India

Mr. Philippe Cousin, ETSI, Sophia Antipolis, France

Mr. Martin Potts, Director, Martel, Switzerland

Mr. P.K. Saji, Vice President, SIFY; India

Alaa Al-Din Al-Radhi, ISOC

WSIS has to build the international policies (with the support of all nations involved) to make the

future Internet an essential part of governance through participation of the citizens. At present the

Internet is dominated by the developed world who invented the Internet and associated protocols

(IP version 4) . With the limited address space of IPv4, the emerging economies and developing

world has no Internet resources with the present Internet. The system is also built up with

complex NATs to develop the security, which however creates problem of privacy protection.

The IPv6 protocol developed over last 10 years with large address space (128 bits) and improved

functionalities (QoS, security and privacy) has the potential for balanced address distribution

across all nations and citizens will allow the development of future Internet, as the platform for

all communication infrastructure (quadplay) in creating a balanced information society of the

future.

The goal of the panel was to discuss different perspectives of IPv6 with respect to the Internet

technology, its impact on social, economic and policy issues and the impact of IPv6 for the

Internet Governance with distribution of resources equitably and in a non-discriminatory manner

at the international level. The panelists were expected to bring the main issues in discussion to

the forefront, to the notice of public-private partnership in promoting IPv6 adoption at

international level and to promote its deployment and operation through policy guidelines, pilot

projects, awareness creation and training.

More than 120 participants from across the globe participated very actively in this workshop.

due to depleting address space. He emphasized more on the need to adopt IPv6 in the

emerging economies and developing world, to meet the challenges of future society at par

with the developed world. The time is ripe with the maturity of IPv6 technology, and the plans

of number of countries to promote the networked society for improved Governance, social

coherence and economical development. He provided an overview of IPv6 activities in Europe

and European Commission’s directive to promote IPv6 deployment with a goal of reaching

25% Internet Users with IPv6 until end of 2010, and co-operation with Indian stakeholders

with 6CHOICE Project, for international promotion.

He showed the technical issues involved with a video so as to create awareness of new

technology to the common man. He introduced panelists to the audience.

Indian Government in promoting IPv6 through policy declaration. The Education and

Research Network of India ‘ERNET’ connecting more than 1300 universities and research

institutes has been made IPv6 enabled and the connectivity has been extended to the

European GEANT network with native IPv6 connection. All 15 nodes of ERNET are also

implemented as dual stack PoPs and number of experiments are being carried out. National

Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has been implemented so that all national Internet traffic

can be better managed. The Indian GRID network GARUDA has also been IPv6 enabled

recently. Thus India is at par with international activities in the academic world. However, the

commercial business cases not being so clear the IPv6 take up is slow in the commercial

world.

IPv6, explained the reasons for which European Commission sees a bright future for the IPv6

based future Internet to address scalability of network and services addressing the Internet of

things with the extended address space, quality of service, improved security and privacy

protection etc… He also emphasized the importance of IPv6 in international Internet

Governance for social, economic and security reasons. Dr. Mario Campolargo called upon the

nations to look seriously at IPv6 adoption in their respective country through policy guidelines

for skills development by appropriate awareness creation and training. He said the need of the

hour is to create IPv6 content, so that users can be also included in the IPv6 promotion.

created the IPv6 training modules. He presented different ongoing activities with IPv6

deployment around the world, and recommended the IGF participants to promote IPv6 in their

respective countries through policy guidelines and take appropriate actions.

audience with open source tool kits and applications for IPv6 development and deployment.

explained their plans to introduce commercial IPv6 services in India. He said already some pilots

are working with their clients and the network during the IGF event in Hyderabad sponsored by

SIFY is IPv6 enabled.

how serious IPv6 is and how the developing countries who do not have much Internet penetration

so far has given more attention to IPv6, so that future Internet in this region can be at the same

level as developed world in the future.

Participants from the audience participated very actively in discussions and the organizers were

very happy with the results achieved in this 90 minutes workshop with eminent panelists. The

results were reflected later in the IGF plenary during the discussion on IPv4/IP6 transition issues.