MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a consultation paper to deliberate on various issues relating to transition from IPv4 to IPv6. This is seen as a continuation of the regulator's initiative for accelerating the growth of broadband in the country.
 
 

According to Trai, the growing number of ‘Always On’ broadband connections will require a large
number of IP addresses. The current version of Internet Protocol (IPv4) may not be able to provide requisite address space.

IPv6, which is next generation Internet protocol, has capacity to expand the available address space on the Internet enormously as well as having the capability to provide better QOS. In addition, IPv6 is designed to promote higher flexibility, functionality and enhanced security.
 
 

The consultation paper provides the necessary platform for discussing the various related
issues like facilitating role of regulator, policy initiative required, need for national IPv6 test bed, establishing national agency for managing IP addresses and IPv6 transition strategy for service providers.

The paper also contains some of the examples of successful implementation from other countries. "This initiative of TRAI is to complement the efforts of Department of Information Technology (DIT) towards country’s transition to IPV6," the release says.

Trai has sought for comments from all the stakeholders by 23 September, 2005.