ITU-D -FLASH • 2015 ITU’S FIRST IPV6 TEST BED IN AFRICA LAUNCHED IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE.ITU is partnering with L'Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications de Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI) for the implementation of an IPv6 test bed.The test bed allows engineers to undertake IPv6 networks simulations to verify the quality of service and interoperability in different environments before deployment in corporate networks. It was launched in December 2014 at ARTCI headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Mr Bilé Diéméléou, ARTCI Director General presided over the launch in the presence of Mr Ali Drissa Badiel, ITU Representative for West Africa, and Mr André Apété, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Posts and ICTs. Welcoming the launch, Mr Brahima Sanou said the Union is committed to facilitating Member States and Sector Members undertake a smooth transition to the new IP address system. “The unlimited capacity offered by IPv6 is an opportunity for countries to offer better and increased internet connectivity, needed to enhance the growth of the digital economy,” he added. IPv6 is the latest and most advanced internet addressing system. It is expected to replace the current IPv4 system whose capacity of four billion IP addresses is almost exhausted. IPv6 has a capacity that exceeds 340 trillion, trillion, trillion. To give a more tangible idea of the scale, some have compared the number of available IPv6 addresses to the number of grains of sand on the planet.(from left)Mr Ali D. Badiel, Mr Andre Apété and Mr Bilé Diéméléou during the IPv6 test bed Engineers attending an IPv6 test bed training