IPv4 to IPv6
Starting in the latter half of this year, LTE smartphones and high-speed Internet services that support the next-gen Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) will be rolled out. The commercialization of IPv6 services will allow better call quality and faster data speed, since a fixed IP address will be assigned to each smartphone. High-speed Internet users will also be able to enjoy various services at a much faster rate, thanks to the fixed IP address.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) announced on March 26 that it will set this year as the first year of unlimited Internet services, and commercially launch IPv6 services in the second half of 2014. SK Telecom is going to release IPv6-based mobile telecommunications services, while SK Broadband is planning to introduce IPv6-based high-speed Internet services. Daum is scheduled to provide IPv6-based online services as well.
The switchover from IPv4 to IPv6 will bring about many changes. Developed in 1981, IPv4 provides only 4.3 billion total addresses at the moment. The widely-used protocol requires the manual setup of IP addresses, and does not allow for quality control. IPv6, on the other hand, can provide 3.4×1038 addresses, and also enables automatic setup and quality control.
For instance, IPv4 addresses of cell phones constantly change due to the limited availability of addresses. The transformation process of IP addresses creates complexity, a slower data rate, and disconnections. However, the new Internet addressing system assigns a specific IP address to every cell phone in the world, and enables faster call connections. In addition, people won’t have to worry about call disconnection problems, owing to the unchanging nature of their IP address.
The same is true for high-speed Internet services. Currently, private IP addresses are used for those Internet services on account of the limited number of IPv4 addresses. However, IPv6 will allow one-to-one communication between terminals, because each device is assigned its own IP address. Faster Internet speeds, better quality, and strengthened Internet security will also be made possible.
Websites will be provided with many new functions as well. Once a certain IP address is given to each website, it will be more convenient to use and manage websites. Moreover, people will be able to use a variety of cloud-based services.
Song Kyung-hee, Director of the MSIP, said, “More than 50 billion devices are expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020,” adding, “I think that new Internet-based industries like the Internet of Things (IoT) sector will be revitalized through the changeover from IPv4 to IPv6.”