The web is running out of addresses. Internet Protocol version 4 or IPv4 is the existing protocol that is used for Internet addresses. However, according to Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) ,the body allocating IP addresses ,there were only 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses of which, 68 per cent have been already allocated and 13 per cent are unavailable due to technical issues.

All IP4 addresses will run out by April 2010. This makes it necessary for users to move over to IPv6, or the next version that supports a total of 16 billion IP addresses.

In fact, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that "the fast growth of Internet and likely migration towards NGN (next generation networks) will require IPv6 addresses. In this background, (the) creation of a National Internet Registry (NIR) is urgently required".

However, “the Indian IT industry is yet to acknowledge the need for IPv6, and the important thing is to create an awareness among Internet Service Providers (ISPs) on the need to migrate to the new format. A lot of work has to be done, like configuring systems and putting equipment in place that supports the new format,” Sify Technologies Senior Vice President (Global Infrastructure Operations) P K Saji told Business Standard.

The migration issue could prove fatal unless a proper migration process is in place or technological advances help in mitigating these issues.

An IP address is a numerical identification of a company’s name which the web understands. It is also important as it is also used to trace the origin of a mail, a malicious worm or location of a defamatory website or blog.

“There is no serious work happening on the customer premises equipment (CPE) nor the network side. And if work is not done right now, ISPs and enterprise users will not be able to migrate seamlessly to IPv6,” Saji added.

Sify Technologies, Reliance Communications (RCom) and Bharti Airtel are some of the ISPs working on this front.

Apart from the capacity, IPv6 offers quality of service and data security capabilities much better than IPv4.

According to Internet guru and head of IT for Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Vijay Mukhi ISPs were experimenting with technology to counter this issue.
ISPs like MTNL,for instance, started providing dynamic IPs even to retail users. MTNL will have a one global IP address, under which it will provide more connections by branching the parent IP, says Mukhi. This way the scarcity of IP addresses can be overcome to a certain extent.

Companies are also experimenting with other technologies, notes Mukhi, adding that in due course of time and much before 2011 “we might come out with a proper solution”