The European Commission yesterday hosted the first meeting of a
European industry-led Task Force established to develop an action
plan by the end of 2001 to ensure the availability of the next
generation of the Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol version 6 or
IPv6) which is seen as necessary for 3G mobile internet access.
Internet Protocol is the method by which data is sent from one
computer to another on the internet. Each computer on the internet
has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all
others on the internet.
It is estimated that at current growth rates, the current
Internet Protocol will run out of internet addresses in 2005. It is
therefore imperative that IPv6 be introduced before the launching
of 3G mobile communications that is built on the idea of each
device having its own IP address and the integration of these
systems with internet access.
"Always-on" wireless access to the internet to over one billion
people by 2003 will require more unique addresses than can be made
available in the global IPv4 address space. Without IPv6, wireless
Internet access subscribers will therefore only get "local"
addresses inside an address space controlled by their ISP/mobile
operator. These "local" IPv4 addresses will limit access to other
services and limit the visibility of the users on the global
Internet.
Integration of Internet-based systems into transportation means
(cars, aircraft, trains, ships and freight transport) and
associated infrastructures for e-Mobility and e-Commerce will
require over one billion addresses by 2005.
In IPv6, each person could dispose of his/her personal internet
address that could be accessible over any network. IPv6 facilitates
reconfiguration so that changing networks or access providers is
easier and this will contribute to competition. While IPv4
concerned communications between computers, IPv6 deals with
communications between people and between the things they use, from
their telephone to their car.
The Task Force is comprised of senior executives broadly
representing all key industrial and research sectors affected by
IPv6, including European Internet service providers, telecom
operators, mobile operators, equipment supply industries, research
networks, and key "application" sectors.
The Task Force web-site is at http://www.ipv6tf.org.
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