Sky Broadband has announced it is preparing to support the new IPv6 internet addressing standard.
Speaking to ISPreview.co.uk, a spokesperson commented:
"Sky is preparing for IPv6 support which includes readying our network, systems and our broadband hardware to provide customers with a seamless experience."
According to the site, customers on Unlimited or Lite packages and those who use Sagem routers have been called on to participate in a new trial, referring to the formal launch of the customer trials of IPv6.
Currently all major broadband providers still assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses using the IPv4 standard. However, the number of addresses available on IPv4 is close to being depleted, necessitating the move. While IPv4 offers 4.3 billion addresses, IPv6 offers a staggering 340,282,366,920,938,000,000,000,000,000 billion addresses.
Great Britain has been considerably slower than other Western countries in adopting the IPv6 addressing standard. According to figures from Apnic, Great Britain is only 0.24 percent IPv6 capable. By comparison, the US is 16.84 percent capable and Germany is 20.75 percent.
Internet service providers in the UK who have moved to IPv6 include AAISP, Clara.net, Entanet, Exa Networks, Goscomb Technologies, IDNet, Webtapestry.
