IPv6 adoption: what’s the status so far?

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Now that another year has passed and we’re well into the first month of yet another promising year, let’s take a look at the status of IPv6 adoption around the world. Ten years after the launch of IPv6, the narrative of this network revolution is still ambiguous. Looking at usage data across countries, it seems that we’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to IPv6 adoption. Whether your business is already running on IPv6 as the dominant network, has the transition pushed forward every time it comes into sight or floats somewhere in the void between IPv4 and IPv6 for the simple lack of urgency – we’re all dealing with a changing network landscape. So let’s dive in.

A shift in network usage

 The year 2022 also marks the two year anniversary of our global pandemic. Besides the enormous effects this has had on social and economic wellbeing, plenty more factors were subject to change. Network traffic patterns being one. Due to the sudden change in working culture – the shift from office to home-office – network traffic changed along. Corporate traffic became remote and domestic traffic.   

According to RIPE data, 2020 and 2021 saw a plateau in the deployment of IPv6 networks. Rather than a steady increase like the years before, the past two years proved to be different. Because of the shift in working locations from collective office spaces to individual home offices, the usage of IPv4 and IPv6 reflect this. However, with the vaccination programs taking shape, the old trend is picking up again. By the end of 2021, the global IPv6 readiness saw an upwards movement again.

Unequal divide 

Despite the upwards trend in IPv6 readiness, the global divide of IPv6 is unequal. Whereas most European countries, some Middle-Eastern countries and North-American countries are gradually expanding their IPv6 deployment, other parts of the world lag behind. The providing entities show little apparent IPv6 traffic in these countries, suggesting an increasing gap between those who’re actively adopting Ipv6 and those who aren’t. What this means for the future remains to be seen. However, despite the unequal divide, there’s progress in IPv6 readiness and this seems promising.    

Field expertsNavigating the intricate field of IP networks are specialized IP brokers. Their existence is due to the shortage of IPv4 addresses. Over the years, they’ve gained significant knowledge on the RIPE procedures as well as on the developments surrounding IPv6. Whenever you want to inquire on the value of Ipv4 addresses or the possibilities IPv6 has to offer, either in terms of purchasing or leasing, IP brokers are a great starting point. Find out more about this topic at prefixbroker.com.