Home > Internet > Article

IPv6 Market Takes Off 2006/07/12 By Joo Sang-don The government has decided to kick off the second phase of the IPv6 pilot project in the second half of this year, aiming to increase the number of IPv6 address users to 100,000 as a part of a full switch to the next-generation Internet address system by 2010. The country`s largest Internet service provider KT has also unveiled a plan to build IPv6-enabled access and backbone networks beginning in 2008. Leading IPv6 equipment vendors are also rushing to team up with multinational firms to join international interoperability tests, aiming to expand into overseas markets such as the United States and Japan. "The switch to IPv6 will likely pick up steam, as the entire networks adopts all-IP over broadband convergence networks," said a manager at a networking equipment vendor. "The IPv6 market is already in the offing, centering on next-generation service such as Internet telephony, Wi-Bro and home networking." The commerce department of the American Embassy to Korea held a meeting with representatives from IPv6 equipment vendors and related organizations of the two countries on July 10, aiming to promote cooperation in global expansion, interoperability of equipment and patent protection. In a move to promote development of IPv6 equipment and solutions, the Ministry of Information and Communication also plans to develop commercial service models by using IPv6 test network "KOREAv6," and adopt IPv6 for home networking and Wi-Bro. The test project is aimed at build a IPv6-based mobile Internet network at KAIST, Aju Unversity and Dongseo University. An IPv6-enabled ubiquitous administration system is also set to be built at Gangreung City Hall, and IPv6 Internet telephony will become available for more than 26,000 employees working for the meteorological agency and the defense ministry. KT plans to leverage a tunneling technology used to send IPv6 packets in IPv4 packets so as to accommodate IPv6 traffic before the setup of a dual stack network capable of processing both IPv4 and 6 traffic set for 2008. "Adoption of IPv6 will likely lead to a paradigm shift in the communications service," said industry experts. "Beginning in late this year, demand for IPv6 equipment and solutions is expected to increase sharply on commercial launch of IPv6-based Wi-Bro and Internet telephony."