IPv6 milestone reached

February 06, 2008

This week, out of the UK, Root and Master level Domain Name servers began returning address records that have the ability to map domain names to IPv6 addresses. This means that the foundation blocks are in place for all domain names to directly map to IPv6 addresses, enabling the controversial move to the new form of IP addressing .

This development means that Browsers and Email can now directly address domain names to an IPv6 IP address without the use of an intermediary device, essentially paving the way for the next form of the Internet. The shift to the longer IPv6 IP address scheme has been in the pipeline for more than 10 years, and it looks like the final piece of the puzzle is now in place.

I wonder if this will encourage the adoption of the new addresses, as IPV4 addresses become more difficult to obtain, and the internet reaches the end of its current “number of users”. ISP’s in South Africa will be watching these developments closely, although there are still a few technical challenges that need to be worked out, as well as a few South African addressing nuances.