IPv6, the latest version of the internet protocol, represents one of the most important changes in the history of the Internet. This new version ensures that the important network of networks continues to grow and develop securely.
To better understand the landscape of the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 in Latin America, it is very important to know what this change is about and how it can affect an organization and even a country.
What is an IP address?
The Internet Protocol, also known by its acronym IP, is a numerical representation created uniquely to identify a specific interface on a network. In other words, to connect to the network, all equipment from your personal computer to the smart fridge must have an IP address number that identifies them, and in this way, they can send and receive data.
There are currently two specifications for IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv4
The IP system was developed more than 40 years ago (in 1981), by one of the great contributors to the development of the Internet, scientist Jon Postel. This version is represented by 32-bit decimal numbers, and provides a little more than four billion (4,29) Ipv4 possible addresses for use. An IPv4 address looks like this: 172.168.10.1
IPv6
This is the most recent version of the protocol, developed in 1998 by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) and ratified as a standard in 2017. The IPv6 address is composed of 128 bits, with a 32-digit hexadecimal notation, which allows more combinations of numbers, leaving a unique number for each connection. IPv6 addresses would support up to 340 undecillion possible addresses, which would attend to the current demand. An IPv6 address can be viewed as follows: 2001:123:4:ab:cde:3403:1:63
Why adopt IPv6
The answer is simple. If we don’t adopt this technology, our network will soon be unable to connect.
You must bear in mind that, due to their different structure, these two technologies are not compatible, therefore it is not possible to communicate between an IPv4 and IPv6, which has generated an urgency to promote the adoption of the technology. more recent.
IPv4 address depletion
In the decade of the 80s; 4.29 billion IP addresses seemed to be enough to serve a giant connection network; however, the IPv4 shortage began to be felt in 2015 due to the unbridled growth of Internet connections.
Internet of Things
The fast growth of the Internet and the use of it for IoT (Internet of Things) devices made it fall short to serve the number of devices that currently connect to the Internet. Today, the home computer is no longer the only device that connects to the internet. With the high level of digitization, at home, we have more than one computer, and appliances such as the refrigerator, the washing machine, and even the lights in your home can be connected to the internet. The Internet of Things has also greatly helped different businesses such as agriculture, where it is possible to install sensors to know the status of crops or livestock; the health sector, commerce, etc.
On August 19, 2020, LACNIC, the official organization in charge of managing IPs for Latin America and the Caribbean, officially reported the reservation of the last block of IPv4 addresses, ending the IPv4 exhaustion phases and making an important call to organizations to accelerate the implementation of IPv6 in the network.
Slow adoption of IPv6
Since 2011 the whole world has been working to change IP addresses from IPv4 to IPv6 but there is still a long way to go. It all started with World IPv6 Day, which took place on June 8, 2011, where, through an initiative of the Internet Society (ISOC), a technical test was carried out to promote the implementation of IPv6 with more than 400 companies.
Google created an exclusive page to closely monitor the adoption of the new IPv6 protocol, which, until the first half of 2021, had 34.68% worldwide.
In the specific case of Latin America, Mexico and Brazil lead the IPv6 adoption rate with 40.62% and 38.38% respectively, but many countries still have a low rate in terms of adopting the new technology, as are Venezuela and Chile with just 0.41% and 1.92% respectively.
IPv4 to IPv6: How to Prepare for it in Latin America
Although the full adoption of IPv6 in Latin America has yet to take a while, compatibility issues are already a reality. This technology is hot on our heels, and today, knowledge and qualified professionals are in short supply. So now you know, if you work in the world of the Internet and telecommunications, it is important that you start preparing your company from now on and look for services from infrastructure providers that are compatible with these two technologies, IPv4 and IPv6.
In the case of EdgeUno, for example, thanks to the capacity and the Dual-stack service, it is possible that all our clients can operate perfectly with both IP formats and make their content reach all users without any trouble.
If you want to know more about IP migration, and how you can prepare your company, do not hesitate to contact us.
