'Turn IPv6 on and leave it on'

Major internet companies around the world including Facebook and Google will permanently enable IPv6 for their products and services at midday today New Zealand time, as part of the World IPv6 Launch event.

Announced in January and taking place, appropriately, on the 6th of the 6th, the event marks a major step on the road to the new protocol and away from the old IPv4.

The milestone follows a one-day event, World IPv6 day, held on June 8 last year.

Murray Milner, convenor of the New Zealand IPv6 Task Force, says the support World IPv6 Launch has gained from the world's major internet players demonstrates the importance of IPv6 uptake.

"The clear message coming from World IPv6 Launch is to turn IPv6 on and leave it on," Milner says.

"The world's available pool of IPv4 addresses has dwindled to nothing, and without the addressing capabilities of IPv6, the internet cannot continue to grow.

Those that don't enable the change risk missing out on applications from countries that are leading the way, Milner adds.

"Some countries, notably India and China, have already run out of IPv4 addresses, and they are developing internet applications using IPv6. Some of those applications will not be visible to New Zealand entities if they don't have IPv6 capability.

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