The process of implementing Internet
Protocol Version 6 is billed as the next phase in the global internet growth. Anyhow,
it will take a long time for IPv6 addresses to be completely embraced, and the
market development speed will dictate the requirement for utilizing other
solutions.
This version of IP has long been proclaimed
as the best way to solve the scarcity of IPv4 addresses and to allow the internet to evolve
further. The complete implementation of IPv6 may be the next phase in the internet
evolution, but it appears more like a wish that is unlikely to happen than an
imminent reality. It will take much investment and scrupulous planning for IPv6
to become a fully working way to solve the existing IPv4 address scarcity.
The date for it to be completely
integrated is estimated to be May 10, 2148; there is only about 30% IPv6
adoption in the world. Considering that IPv6 was introduced in the middle of
the 1990s, the previous estimation is unlikely to be excessively far away.
Costly network infrastructure, the incompatibility of end-user technologies,
and lack of advantages for early adopters all contribute to the delay in the
IPv6 evolution. Here are some insights into these developmental factors and the
effect of these on the internet sector.
Limited
Affordability
It takes costly infrastructural
resources to be capable of supporting IPv6 - not every internet provider and every
telecommunications company can invest in IPv6. Therefore, the developmental
speed hinges largely on main industry players. Anyhow, SMBs not being a part of
the equation means the sector is losing a considerable number of entities that
could otherwise aid in accelerating IPv6 implementation.
It takes a huge investment to
establish a wholly new infrastructure, and this investment may appear more than
before, due to the effect of COVID-19 on several organizations. This is a
factor in the slowdown of IPv6 implementation. Further, almost every legacy
application is not equipped to work with IPv6, and modernizing it for IPv6
compliance will increase the expenses further.
Financial limitations hinder the
process of changing from IPv4 to IPv6, but every entity that cannot financially
make this transition requires a market-ready solution to keep scaling. It is
possible to deal with the issue through the IPv4 address leasing market. It allows the entities
to lease out unutilized IPv4 resources, thereby offering a timelier solution
than before and simplifying the process of changing to the sixth version of
Internet Protocol.