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Welcome to this IPv6 Website

ITU and IPv6
​With the massive deployment of Internet-related resources worldwide and the integration of IP-enabled consumer devices connected directly to the network, the issue of the depletion of IPv4 (Internet Protocol, version 4) addresses is becoming pertinent. In addition to other features, IPv6 (Internet Protocol, version 6) with its 128 bit address space is aimed at addressing the current shortage of public IPv4 addresses. However, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is going at a rather slow rate.

During the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-08, Johannesburg 2008), ITU Member States and Sector Members reached consensus and adopted Resolution 64 ‘IP address allocation and encouraging the deployment of IPv6’ to promote awareness of the availability of IPv4 addresses and the deployment of IPv6.

The purpose of this website is to provide information about global activities related to IPv6, thus facilitating awareness-raising of IPv6 deployment, as well as providing information related to training events being undertaken by relevant entities in the Internet community, as requested by WTSA-08 Resolution 64.

We invite contributions to Resolution 64 implementation activities, including enhancing this website. In particular, ITU Member States are invited to contribute national case studies, implementation plans, training activities, etc. as appropriate. Please send your contributions by email to: ipv6info[at]itu.int.

What are the issues?

​Development of IPv6 by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) began in 1993, in response to a series of perceived problems, primarily the exhaustion of the current IP version 4 (IPv4) address space. (Read more..)

The issues surrounding IPv4 address depletion and IPv6 deployment problem are highly complicated, spreading across economical, technical, operational and policy dimensions. The non-exhaustive list of articles and websites at the ‘Articles & Documents’ part provides a useful reference to better understand the issues.

ITU's role

​ITU is mandated by the following Resolutions with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of critical Internet resources:
  • Plenipotentiary Resolutions 101, 102, 130, 133 and 140 (Rev. Antalya 2006)
  • ITU Council 2007 Resolution 1282
  • World Telecommunication Standard Assembly (WTSA) Resolutions 47, 48, 50, 52, 64, 75 (Rev. Johannesburg, 2008)
  • World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) Programme 3, Resolutions 17, 20, 30 and 45 (Rev. Doha, 2006)
ITU’s strategy on IPv6 will be based on the progress made by other organizations (e.g. IETF, Regional Internet Registries or RIRs and/or the Number Resource Organization (NRO)) and ICANN. ITU, as a unique public/private partnership, composed of 191 governments and more than 700 private sector entities, can complement this work by providing mechanisms for a consensus-based approach to deployment, management and policy making strategies relating to IPv6.

ITU is contributing actively in areas such as:
  • Promotion, capacity building and technical assistance for developing countries
  • Cooperation and contribution to the work of relevant organizations (e.g. RIRs)
  • Technical and standardization issues as appropriate

IPv4 Exhaustion Counter


 

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