IPv6 Introduction
Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) will accelerate the introduction of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) this year. It plans to introduce IPv6 in wired and wireless networks by the end of the second half of this year in cooperation with wired and wireless telecommunications carriers.
The KISA announced on May 28 that it is recruiting participants for a 1 billion won (US$893.655) project to develop and operate IPv6-based internet services for about a month from June 1 to 26. The project is to provide financial support for the development and operation of apps and web services that support the IPv6.
While the current IPV4 framework allows for around 4.3 billion IP addresses, the next generation, known as IPv6, will practically offer an unlimited number of IP addresses. So, many countries are seeking to establish the IPv6. In particular, underdeveloped countries and developing countries which belatedly introduces the Internet have difficulties in securing IPv4 addresses as 10 countries around the world accounts for 65 percent of the total IPv4 addresses.
Accordingly, leading countries are actively seeking to introduce the IPv6. Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and the U.S. already replaced their 25 percent of IP addresses with IPv6. Sixteen websites out of global top 100, including Google, Facebook, Amazon, LinkedIn, YouTube and Netflix, completed the introduction of the IPv6.
South Korea has also been seeking to introduce IPv6 by stages since 2008. However, it still has made little progress. According to the KISA, IPv6 was introduced in only 1135, or 0.03 percent, out of 3.4 million domestic domains and 183, or 0.015 percent, out of 1.2 million “.kr” domains.
An official from the KISA said, “We need to accelerate the conversion to IPv6 in order to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution at a time when the number of new addresses grow explosively including the Internet of Things (IoT) amid IPv4 addresses running out.”
The KISA plans to join hands with telecommunications carriers to build up the foundation for IPv6 conversion this year. To this end, it will work together with Korea Telecommunications Operations Association (KTOA), KT, SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG U+ to push ahead with interconnection for domestic IPv6 internet traffic communication and develop traffic calculation systems.