New Zealand cranks up IPv6 preparations

Stuart Corner
Monday, 16 November 2009 09:42

Business IT - Technology

After a slow start, New Zealand is poised to accelerate implementation of the next generation Internet protocol, IPv6, with the formation of the New Zealand IPv6 Task Force.

The task force will assume and expand on the work of the NZ IPv6 Steering Group, an across-industry group convened by independent consultant Dr Murray Milner - who has been appointed convenor of the task force - and supported by the Ministry of Economic Development and InternetNZ.

It will be aligned with the global IPv6 Forum and "will be driven by impending exhaustion of existing IPv4 addressing and the associated risk and additional cost that this is expected to impose."

It is now almost a year since Major ICT industry and stakeholder organisations in New Zealand 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. Reporting that event ,  iTWire noted that New Zealand was lagging well behind in Australia in preparing for the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses and the transition to IPv6. Eighteen months earlier we had reported New Zealand's first steps in planning for IPv6, saying that "IPv6 planning in Australia is much more advanced."

Despite this slow star, the New Zealand Government does not intend to play a particularly pro-active role in shifting the country to IPv6. It recently sought to impress  upon the country's business community the importance of speedy adoption of IPv6, but said its role towards achieving this would be confined to awareness raising and leading by example, not by regulation.

The Task Force work says its work will "revolve around a multi-stakeholder approach with solid participation and sponsorship from telecommunications suppliers and technology integrators." The Internet Society of New Zealand, InternetNZ, will support the Task Force through sponsorship and the provision of a secretariat.

The formation of the Task Force follows from the New Zealand IPv6 Hui (Maori for conference) organised by the Steering Group in August, held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch over three days. Milner said: "The Hui was very well attended and we came away with a thorough understanding of the work required.

"The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force will provide a platform for an extensive action plan that is already in development. This will include further IPv6 events, development of training and education options, and assisting IPv6 implementation planning within the necessary sectors of the New Zealand economy."

He added: "It is anticipated that a national IPv6 Hui will become an annual event. Connections are also being established at management and technical levels with relevant sector groups to ensure comprehensive planning for IPv6 issues across New Zealand business and government."

The IPV6 Hui identified technical training as a key priority and the Task Force is about to begin a new series of IPv6 technical workshops, the first in Auckland in December.