The Regional Internet Registries, IPv6 Task Forces and IPv6 Forum Pledge Co-operative Support of Global IPv6 Deployment
                   

The Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), the  IPv6 Task Forces and the IPv6  Forum  are  working  in  co-operation  to  support global IPv6 deployment.
The four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), APNIC, ARIN,  LACNIC  and  the
RIPE NCC, are responsible for the management of  global  Internet  numbering
resources, including IPv4 and IPv6 address space, throughout the world.  The
RIRs confirm their commitment and continued support towards  the  deployment
of IPv6 in co-operation with the IPv6 Task Forces and with  the  support  of
the IPv6 Forum.
The IPv6 Task Forces are focused on rapid  IPv6  deployment.  They  see  the
adoption of IPv6 by  industry,  governments,  schools  and  universities  is
particularly important.  The  extra  address  space  offered  by  IPv6  will
facilitate  the  deployment  of  widespread  "always-on"  Internet  services
including broadband access for all. In addition, IPv6's built-in  encryption
will help improve Internet security  and  is  promoted  by  many  government
institutions globally.
The co-operation among the RIRs  and  the  IPv6  Task  Forces  includes  key
aspects such as:
- Supporting awareness, education and deployment of IPv6;
- Disseminating information on the progress of IPv6 deployment;
- Encouraging dialogue and ensuring the  necessary  co-operation  between  all
involved parties;
- Benchmarking IPv6 deployment progress;
- Supporting the adoption of Domain Name Service infrastructure necessary  for IPv6;
- Encouraging the participation of all those who are interested  in  the  IPv6
policy development process.
This  co-operative  effort  between  the  RIRs  and  the  IPv6  Task  Forces
recognises that while IPv4 address space will be available for  many  years,
new users and usages of the Internet have the potential to rapidly  increase
the utilisation of IPv4 address space. With the advent of  multiple  always-
on  devices,  wireless  handhelds  and  3G  mobile  handsets,  the  Internet
community needs to  prepare  for  a  sharp  increase  in  IP  address  space
utilisation. In order to prevent future  operational  problems,  the  global
rollout of IPv6 is essential for enabling the development  and  adoption  of
new applications and services.
The  rollout  of  IPv6  on  this  scale  requires  significant  preparation,
particularly in terms of training and planning. The RIRs and the  IPv6  Task
Forces  encourage  early  evaluation  by  network  operators  and   industry
players, in order  to  promote  the  necessary  technical  dialogue  and  to
facilitate  widespread  adoption.  Internet  Service  Providers  (ISPs)  can
already deploy IPv6 in non-disruptive ways that do  not  require  additional
investment while providing added value to their customers.
"The RIPE NCC has supported IPv6 from an early stage. We  are  committed  to
ensuring that IPv6 resources are provided to RIPE NCC members whenever  they
are required. We  will  continue  to  use  the  long-established  system  of
address  distribution  where  IP  addresses  are  allocated   according   to
demonstrated need wherever that need is demonstrated," stated  Axel  Pawlik,
Managing Director of the RIPE NCC. "The RIPE NCC is already  providing  IPv6
training to  our  members  and  other  tools  required  to  facilitate  IPv6
deployment," he added.
Jordi Palet, Founding Member of the EU IPv6 Task Force and co-chair  of  the
IPv6 Forum's Awareness and Education Working Group, sees  the  formalisation
of  this  co-operative  support  of  IPv6   deployment   as   an   important
development. "This co-operative effort ensures  the  global  recognition  of
the strategic importance of IPv6 in enabling the  continued  development  of
the Internet  and  the  worldwide  information  society.  This  ongoing  co-
ordination will have a  positive  global  benefit  for  end  users  and  the
industry, by reinforcing the resilience of the Internet while  allowing  for
the development of ever-improving applications and services," he said.
Paul Wilson, APNIC Director General, noted that  significant  advances  have
been taking place in all the RIR regions with  respect  to  IPv6  allocation
and policy. "The RIRs are already working with the IANA and  large  ISPs  to
facilitate the delegation  of  large  blocks  of  IPv6  address  space,"  he
stated. "In the Asia Pacific region, a number of countries  are  taking  the
lead in terms of IPv6 deployment, and  APNIC  will  continue  to  offer  its
support in these areas,  and  elsewhere,  to  allow  the  entire  region  to
benefit from IPv6."
"In the ARIN region, we have received clear direction from the community  to
make all necessary preparations for IPv6 deployment. This includes  work  on
the allocation policies and procedures, as well as making our  own  services
available via IPv6," stated John Curran, Acting President of ARIN.
"LACNIC is involved in the formation of the  Latin  American  and  Caribbean
IPv6 Task Force and is  active  in  encouraging  the  participation  of  its
members and the community in IPv6 deployment and policy,  and  our  services
are already available over IPv6" said Raúl Echeberría, CEO of LACNIC.
"This global co-operation signals  another  historic  milestone  to  further
accelerate take-up of IPv6 for the  global  good,"  applauded  Latif  Ladid,
President of the IPv6 Forum.
"The North American IPv6 Task Force  supports  the  worldwide  collaboration
with the RIRs to further  support  the  deployment  of  IPv6  and  the  next
generation Internet mobile society  using  IPv6,"  stated Jim  Bound,  Chair
NAv6TF and IPv6 Forum CTO.
As an IPv6 Forum Board member and an ICANN Address Council  member,  Takashi
Arano of the Asia Pacific IPv6 Task Force steering committee  supports  this
collaboration. "Address management, which the RIRs are in charge of, is  one
of the crucial components for the commercial  deployment  of  IPv6  and  its
stable operation. I hope collaboration between  IPv6  Task  Forces  and  the
RIRs will result in the advent of  an  IPv6-powered  'everything-everywhere-
every time' networking world," he stated.
 
About IPv6
IPv6 is a new  version  of  the  data  networking  protocols  on  which  the
Internet is based. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) developed  the
basic specifications during  the  1990s.  The  primary  motivation  for  the
design and deployment of IPv6 was to expand the  available  'address  space'
of the Internet, thereby enabling billions of new  devices  (PDAs,  cellular
phones, appliances, etc.), new users  and  'always-on'  technologies  (xDSL,
cable, Ethernet-to-the-home, fibre-to-the-home, Power  Line  Communications,
etc.).
The existing IPv4 protocol has  a  32-bit  address  space  providing  for  a
theoretical  2
32  (approximately  4  billion)  unique  globally  addressable network interfaces. IPv6 has a  128-bit  address  space  that  can  uniquely address 2
128 (about 340 sexillion[1]) network interfaces.
About the EU IPv6 Task Force
The European IPv6 Task Force is a  volunteer  organisation,  with  over  500
members,  open  to  all  the  interested  parties  in  advancing  the   IPv6
deployment in the European region, in co-operation  with  the  rest  of  the
world and other related entities. Further information is  available  on  the
IPv6 Task Forces websites: 
http://www.eu.ipv6tf.org,  
http://www.ipv6tf.org, 
http://www.na.ipv6tf.org, 
http://www.ap.ipv6tf.org, 
http://www.lac.ipv6tf.org.
About the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)
Four Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) exist today.  They  provide  number
resource allocation and registration services that support the operation  of
the Internet globally.
The RIRs are independent, not-for-profit organisations  that  work  together
to meet the needs of the global Internet community. They  facilitate  direct
participation by all interested parties and ensure  that  the  policies  for
allocating Internet number resources (such as IP  addresses  and  Autonomous
System Numbers) are defined by those who require them for their operations.
The RIRs ensure that number resource policies are consensus-based  and  that
they are applied fairly and consistently. The RIR framework provides a well-
established  combination  of  bottom-up  decision-making  and   global   co-
operation that has  created  a  stable,  open,  transparent  and  documented
process for developing number resource policies.
The RIR framework  contributes  to  the  common  RIR  goal  and  purpose  of
ensuring   fair   distribution,   responsible   management   and   effective
utilisation of number resources necessary to maintain the stability  of  the
Internet.
The Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) currently consist of:
About the IPv6 Forum
The IPv6 Forum is a world-wide  consortium  of  over  160  leading  Internet
service vendors, National Research & Education  Networks  and  international
ISPs, with a clear mission to promote IPv6  by  improving  market  and  user
awareness, creating  a  quality  and  secure  New  Generation  Internet  and
allowing world-wide equitable access to knowledge and  technology.  The  key
focus of the IPv6 Forum today is  to  provide  technical  guidance  for  the
deployment of IPv6. IPv6 Summits are hosted by the IPv6 Forum and staged  in
various locations around the world to provide industry and market  with  the
best  available  information   on   this   rapidly   advancing   technology.
http://www.ipv6forum.org.
About the North American IPv6 Task Force
The  North   American   IPv6   Task   Force   is   an   all-volunteer   non-
vendor/service/provider or other entity interest with the  IPv6  mission  of
assisting the North American  geography  as  sub  task  force  of  the  IPv6
Forum for deployment, education,  awareness,  technical  analysis/direction,
transition  analysis,  political/business/economic/social  analysis  support
and other efforts as required. The members see IPv6 as more  important  than
their own self-interests. 
http://www.nav6tf.org.