A Key Day for the
Future of the Internet
Today more than 2000 organizations and companies around the world will make their content and services available over IPv6, the Internet's new technology platform.
Today, June 6, more than 2000 major Internet companies and organizations around the world have joined forces to start using IPv6, the new Internet protocol, in the greatest global effort towards the deployment of the new Internet technology yet. Starting today, thousands of websites will offer their content and allow access through IPv6.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, LACNIC has been promoting numerous initiatives to encourage effective IPv6 deployment since 2004, having organized dozens of meetings, conferences and workshops that have allowed training over 5000 technicians representing the Internet industry in our region.
In view of this, World IPv6 Launch represents an important milestone in the global deployment of IPv6 as the successor to the current Internet protocol (IPv4). It is also essential to the continued growth of the Internet as a platform for innovation and economic development.
World IPv6 Launch, an initiative promoted by the Internet Society, involves major Internet service providers, home networking equipment manufacturers and Internet companies around the world (http://www.worldipv6launch.org/). World IPv6 Launch seeks to motivate the Internet industry as a whole to provide its services over IPv6 to ensure the future of the Internet when IPv4 addresses are finally exhausted.
Starting today, Internet giants such as Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Cisco, Akamai (a company that provides a quarter of all Internet traffic worldwide), Comcast, Time Warner Cable and AT&T, among other major companies, will provide their contents over IPv6. The vast majority of users will be able to access the services as usual; however, in rare cases, poor setup or faulty network equipment may affect access to these websites.
In line with its commitment and involvement with IPv6 deployment in Latin America and the Caribbean, and within the framework of the World IPv6 Launch, LACNIC has organized a series of activities for our regional community at the Internet Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean (http://lacnic.net/sp/eventos/ipv6launch/) aimed at strengthening the adoption of the new Internet protocol in the region. We will provide details and report on the progress achieved in the countries of the region in terms of IPv6 deployment.
Why IPv6? The explosive growth of the Internet has generated a strong demand for available blocks of IP addresses, a unique number assigned to each device connected to a network, making it necessary to develop a new protocol to allow for the expansion of the World Wide Web. IPv4, the system currently most widely in use, allows a finite number of IP addresses − more than 4 billion possible combinations that have now been exhausted. IPv6, a much more advanced protocol that offers greater possibilities, was designed to replace it.
IPv6 is the new generation of the Internet protocol; it is essential for allowing the Internet to continue to grow in the coming decades. In response to the needs of the Latin American and Caribbean community, since its creation LACNIC has worked on providing information, training experts, and promoting actions so that the necessary measures will be taken at public and private level to achieve an effective adoption of the IPv6 protocol.
About the Internet Hub for Latin America and Caribbean
The Internet Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean (http://lacnic.net/sp/casa-de-internet.html) is home to the region's most important Internet organizations. This hub was created to help build synergies, support development, and offer more and improved services to our community by involving a growing number of stakeholders. It brings together the six major Internet organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean.
About LACNIC
LACNIC (www.lacnic.net) is the organization responsible for administrating Internet addresses for Latin America and the Caribbean based on policies defined by the community through open, participative processes in which all stakeholders can participate. Making these means of participation available is one of the core aspects of the work carried out by LACNIC and what has made this self-regulatory system such a successful experience.
For more information:
Ernesto Majó, LACNIC Communications Manager, ernesto@lacnic.net or +598 94 565566.
