LACNIC, one of five global Regional Internet Registries, said IPv4 is likely to be gone by 2011, and that it will spearhead a campaign in Latin America to get ISPs to switch to IPv6 by January 1, 2011.
We do not wish to create panic, but IP version four addresses are on the way to depletion. Therefore, we recommend preparing regional networks as soon as possible for using the internet protocol version six, LACNIX executive director Raul Echeberria said in a statement.
IPv4, which we all use today, is represented with 32 bits, and therefore has 4.3 billion possible address. These are running out with the general growth of the internet and as more devices such as mobile phones become connected to the internet.
IPv6 uses 128 bits, and therefore allows for an exponentially larger number of addresses. The exact quantity of addresses is 39 digits long. Knowing what we know today, it’s more addresses than could conceivably be useful to the human race.
ARIN, the North American RIR, was the first to come out with a strong statement about the need for the transition to IPv6. In the past, the RIRs have been reluctant to predict IPv4’s longevity, but all the recent growth extrapolations have addresses running out in the next three or four years.
While the transition to IPv6 is expected to be challenging, the protocol has been developed and studied for a decade, and is well-understood. It will also be possible to run IPv4 and IPv6 side by side for as long as is needed.
