National Broadband Network? Australia can do it right with IPv6
9 April 2009: NEWS RELEASE FROM IPv6 NOW PTY LTD
The Australian Government's announcement of a new approach to the National Broadband Network was welcomed today by IPv6Now, as providing Australia with a unique opportunity to take advantage of the next generation of Internet technology: IPv6.
The NBN is Australia's opportunity to take IPv6 to every Australian family, business and individual, and support a bright future for Australia in the global digital economy. Or, if we build the NBN on IPv4 we could see Australia become ever more isolated from the rest of the Internet, and ever less competitive.
For Tony Hill, managing director of IPv6Now, the choice is clear. He sees today's announcement by the Government as the beginning of a historic opportunity to "do it right" by making sure that IPv6 is the native protocol for the new network.
Growth in demand for the Internet has been substantial. IPv6 is needed, to allow users to move beyond connecting only desktop and laptop computers, and begin connecting all sorts of handheld devices, and even everyday items such as household appliances, health monitors, security systems and cars.
"Done right, this is indeed a nation-building exercise. The Government has shown true vision, and in doing so has aligned itself with the OECD's views on the importance of the Internet and IPv6 to the digital economy, locally and globally. IPv6 is viewed as a keystone by OECD Ministers, and it must also be a keystone in the design of the NBN", said Hill.
IPv6Now is using its specialist expertise in working with the Victorian Government and Ai Group to build the IPv6 testbed network for Victorian industry, VIC6, that will allow businesses and local organisations to take full advantage of this new technology to build their international competitiveness. New applications are already being designed for applications in the health, financial services and automotive manufacturing sectors.
For more information about IPv6 Now and VIC6, see www.ipv6now.com.au and www.vic6.net.
Contact details:
IPv6 Now Pty Ltd (ACN 126 460 955)
PO Box 152
Civic Square ACT 2608
Web: www.ipv6now.com.au
Email: info@ipv6now.com.au
Phone: +61-2-61616607
Fax: +61-2-62629938
Background to IPv6:
IPv6 is the next generation Internet protocol. It will eventually replace IPv4, which the Internet currently runs on, though there will be a period where both are in use. IPv4 addresses are expected to run out in about 2011. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address, meaning that it can provide an extraordinarily large number of addresses. See www.ipv6.org.au (which incidentally was the first IPv6-accessible website in Australia and is now hosted on an IPv6Now dual-stack server).
Background to IPv6Now:
IPv6 Now Pty Ltd supplies commercial services to business and government, covering all aspects of IPv6, including strategic advice, technical training, network design and testing, and dual-stack hosting for websites, domain names and email. IPv6Now also provides access with guaranteed service levels to the IPv6 Internet, via Australia's first commercial tunnel broker. The company's main offices are in Canberra and Sydney, with offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, regional NSW and regional Victoria.