New Zealand wakes up to the need for IPv6

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 03:48

Business IT - Technology

Major ICT industry and stakeholder organisations in New Zealand have agreed on the need for a transition plan from IPv4 to IPv6 that would include education, and identification and removal of roadblocks to IPv6 deployment. However it lags well behind Australia in IPv6 transition planning.

The move follows a workshop convened by the Ministry of Economic Development. Keith Davidson executive director of Internet advocacy group, InternetNZ, welcomed the move saying in demonstrated increasing recognition that IPv6 deployment would become a business-critical issue as IPv4 exhaustion looms.

"While this is not a Y2K scenario, unless New Zealand has a clear plan for the introduction of IPv6 then there is an increased risk of Internet black holes developing," he said.

According to Jamie Baddeley, president of the ISP Assocation of New Zealand, "This may mean that communication via the Internet may not be possible in the near future between parts of New Zealand's IPv4-based Internet and certain developing countries such as China and India, where IPv6-only Internet infrastructure is currently being deployed."

Eighteen months ago iTWire reported on New Zealand taking its first steps towards planning for IPv6 noting that "To date there has been little progress towards IPv6 in New Zealand... IPv6 planning in Australia is much more advanced."

InternetNZ has agreed to provide support for furthering IPv6 as a national industry initiative under the auspices of the Digital Development Forum, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to promote New Zealand's transition into the digital economy.

The workshop also resulted in the formation of an IPv6 Steering Group, which includes representatives from telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, ICT vendors, and industry and user associations. Telecommunications industry consultant, Dr Murray Milner, has been confirmed as independent convenor for the steering group.

Next steps include development of a technical education plan to stimulate IPv6 skills in New Zealand's ICT and academic sectors. This will be followed by development of a roadmap for the deployment of IPv6 for New Zealand and a business sector outreach programme. A national IPv6 Hui (Maori term for a social gathering) anticipated for September 2009 is also planned.