DCN September 2016 | Page 11

centre of attention rise until the point where obtaining IPv4 costs more than rolling out IPv6, when there will be a sudden shift and the price of IPv4 addresses will plummet. Furthermore, when an IPv4 address changes hands, it sometimes leaves the region it was originally assigned in – your customer could be in Saudi Arabia and using an IP address that originally belonged to a network in Romania, and as a result might encounter situations where a service is blocked or different local content is served because the provider thinks they are in a different region. Practical considerations With the risk and additional complexity of continuing to rely on IPv4, businesses should begin their IPv6 deployment process sooner rather than later. However, deploying IPv6 requires careful planning, training and compatible equipment. While it’s easy to ensure that new technology bought during routine hardware upgrade cycles is IPv6 compatible, a full IPv6 deployment is not an overnight project, and takes a carefully considered deployment plan and IPv6 training program for staff. upgrading relevant hardware and software and ensuring that everyone involved is suitably trained, through to getting management sign-off, actually deploying IPv6 and then evaluating the results. By taking a cohesive, step-by-step approach to IPv6 deployment, each stage becomes far more manageable. This is a crucial year for IPv6 adoption, not only to deliver services to current customers, but also to safeguard future growth. It’s time for telecoms providers to get on board. IPv6 use is growing. Eleven per cent of worldwide users access Google via IPv6 at present, and this number will increase quickly. These risks make workarounds impractical for the telecoms industry, which relies on clear, direct network connections to reliably provide services to customers. As a result, IPv6 is an essential step to safeguard businesses now and in the future. IPv6 isn’t just an eventual necessity; adopting now can provide significant benefits for businesses. The future of Internet innovation relies on IPv6, from driverless cars to the Internet of Things. Data centres and telecoms providers can attract innovators by offering a future proofed environment, and waiting for wider adoption of IPv6 will mean missing out on new opportunities – and customers. Building an IPv6 project plan is a relatively simple process, although it can seem to many like a difficult task, the RIPE NCC has a six step guide on how to achieve this. The process spans from identifying those affected by an IPv6 deployment, 11