[afnog] What are the major challenges in enabling Services to run on IPv6?

[Mark Tinka]

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 12:21:12 PM 
Malick.Sy at swisscom.com wrote:

> I was wondering, what good business need is there to push
> IPv6 to the network edge, specifically in Africa?

Continued access to the Internet - you know, those pesky IP 
addresses that devices need in order to be online?

> What would be the direct benefit to the customer or the
> service provider, of investing in configuring, deploying
> and migrating to v6.

Not migrating, but integrating.

Benefit for the customer - their Facebook continues to work.

Benefit for the service provider - the customer's Facebook 
continues to work (customer's Facebook working = $$ into 
service provider's favorite bank).

> V4 address depletion is a reality,
> but in the Africa region, is there really a shortage of
> IP addresses to assign or is there more a lack of
> services to run on these IP addresses?

All the IPv4 addresses in Africa mean nothing if the rest of 
the world has run out and are moving to IPv6.

Not sure if you noticed, but IPv4 and IPv6 are not backwards 
(or forwards) compatible. Well, not without some serious 
weight lifting...

> Also, wouldn¹t
> the effort and expense to move to v6 In Africa, be
> better used, if spent on harnessing WiMax? rolling out
> fibre where possible? I creasing  Wifi coverage? rolling
> out DSL/VDSL/xDSL? Increasing peering points? creating
> alternatives to the current under sea cable transits
> (and reduce reliance on ACE, etc)? With the relatively
> small penetration of broadband in Africa, should not
> efforts be spent addressing broadband penetration rates
> and access to information, rather than ³keeping up with
> the Jones² and rolling out technology for the sake of
> technology?

It all comes together, Malick.

All the cable, wireless and routers on the ground mean 
nothing if there aren't any IP addresses.

It's not an either or situation. IPv6 needs as much 
attention as broadband penetration.

> In Europe, I am only aware of France¹s Free who have a
> full native IPv6 deployment,

Good, that Free...

> all other providers are
> managing to provide services without too big an IPv6
> footprint.

Good, that Free...

> In the Americas, I believe a number of
> educational institutions have native v6, and most Sps
> can probably provide it. My contention, IPv6 rollouts
> globally have been quite low speed and that is probably
> because there are other priorities for the Service
> providers.

That is life - but so is life without IP addresses (or with 
kludges that try to get different IP protocols to talk).

> So major challenges to enabling services on v6, I guess
> the demand for such services, is probably going to be a
> major factor.If there is no demand or minimal demand,
> and a current working system exists, why waste time on
> it?

Ever had a customer coming to you demanding for IPv4?

Mark.
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