Innovation needs new Internet Protocol, Commission claims
Europe's position as a world leader in mobile communications and its ability to innovate could be threatened unless rollout of the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is treated as a matter of urgency, according to a new communication from the European Commission. EU Member States and industry need to match their research efforts with political commitment to ensure that IPv6 is available as soon as possible, according to EU Enterprise and Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen. 'IPv6 is a critical technology for enabling the convergence of the Internet with mobile communications, an area where Europe leads the world. The importance of IPv6 to European competitiveness in general cannot be overestimated. Europe needs to match its first class research with political commitment to make IPv6 happen,' said Mr Liikanen. Continued use of the existing protocol, IPv4, would mean that the Internet would degrade, as it hampers take-up of new technology. Most of the new IP addresses (the computer equivalent of a postal address) that will be provided by IPv6 will be assigned to Internet capable devices, such as industrial equipment, car navigation systems and mobile phones. Without this, innovations which could help European competitiveness could be hampered. The vast number of new IP addresses that IPv6 would provide are desperately needed, as the present number of IP addresses is predicted to run out in 2005. It would also provide a means of rebalancing the distribution of IP addresses - nearly 75 per cent of existing ones are registered in the USA. The Commission communication says the efforts it calls for should reflect existing moves being made in European research. The Commission allocated 55 million euro to research projects which address IPv6 in the Fifth Framework programme, while GEANT, the world's fastest research network, will be migrating to IPv6 shortly. The communication calls for more effort in developing the skills base, sustaining European research efforts, accelerating standards and specification work and promoting awareness throughout the economy.