Nigerian CommunicationWeek

IT Stakeholders Make Case for IPv6

Although the internet is speedily breeding powerful social-digital society, it is however enmeshed with challenges says Professor Raymond Akwule. He identified the current IPv4 on which internet runs as would soon be exhausted. 

Speaking at the IPv6 roundtable 2012 organized by DigitalSense Africa media (DSA), Akwule warned of imminent danger should internet users keep the present Internet protocol (IPv4) suite, adding that the country will run out of reach, thus requiring a speedy migration to IPv6.

The Internet protocol (IP) suite has a number of functions, the most fundamental being the assignment of IP addresses to devices which enable the information exchange from computer to computer over the global Net. The IP protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the predominant protocol in use today, while the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is designed as a successor to IPv4. The one day roundtable focused on IPV6 and the Future of Internet in Nigeria.

Akwule, a teacher, researcher and project planner in ICT further called on internet experts in the Nigeria, particularly the software developers to turn on the light in IT development through self discovery and liaising with international bodies to carve out a niche for the country.

“The internet Society Nigeria Chapter as shown has highly concerned they are with the state of low compliance with infrastructural development in the country and also thrown it open for all and sundry, especially the software developers to increase the internet architectural advancement of the country.

“Is left for all of us to keep open minds and help to migrate to the IPv6. We are not stopping there but engage in concerted efforts to engender internet growth in our country,” he noted.

Also speaking, Giandomenico Massari, the president, Internet Society (ISOC) Nigeria Chapter, maintained that the internet growth, development and usage is a generic issue, pointing out that visualizing a robust sector without the implementation of certain resolutions will amount to illusions and failure.

“Knowledge is the new currency hence we have the tools to contribute in the interaction. There are potentials in Nigeria waiting to be harnessed into the application teamwork phenomenon,” Massari said.

It was widely accepted at the forum organized by DSA in conjunction with Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda) and Internet Society, Nigeria Chapter, that IPv6 has advantages over IPv4 for both network operators and end-users. The new protocol allows the deployment of millions of always-on, IP enabled devices and each having its own unique IP address.

A growing number of challenges have been encountered by the current Internet Protocol IPv4 over the years, including the scarcity of addresses which is essential for emerging Internet markets where the number of users continues to grow exponentially.

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