Verizon Business plans 18 month transition to IPv6

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 26 September 2007 08:10

Business IT - Technology

Verizon Business has announced plans to upgrade its global public IP network infrastructure to IPv6 over the next 18 months, enabling customers to "fully integrate to IPv6."

Verizon Business began its first phase of deploying IPv6 on the public IP network in 2004 and says it will complete the North America region in 2008 and move into the Asia-Pacific and European regions from late 2008 to 2009.

The company will operate both IPv6 and IPv4, in what is known as a "dual stack" arrangement, on its MPLS network core. The company also has deployed IPv6 throughout its network access points (peering facilities) where Internet service providers exchange traffic.

"Verizon Business is among the first global providers to move to an IPv6-enabled public IP infrastructure," said Mike Marcellin, vice president of product marketing for Verizon Business. "While IPv6 has been a hot topic among service providers, government agencies and enterprise business customers, many entities are just beginning to research the information needed for their migration strategy. With our knowledge and expertise, Verizon Business is ready to help its customers plan and administer the complex move from IPv4 to IPv6."

Driving this transformation is the need for more IP address space, especially as the use of the Internet grows. In addition to business needs and computer connections to the Internet, it is expected there will be a demand for other "smart" devices such as refrigerators, washing machines and other routine appliances with the ability to connect to the Internet, enabling consumers to monitor and control these devises remotely.

 IPv6 will offer advantages over the current IPv4 standard including new IP applications; improved network configuration; security; scalability; mobility; and enhanced administration and manageability.

The US federal government has already ordered its agencies become IPv6-capable by June of 2008. Verizon Business says it is working with the US federal government to help the agencies meet the Office of Management and Budget's IPv6-mandated requirements.