Taiwan, Japan and Europe ink deal to co-develop IPv6 technology

Taipei, Feb. 28, 2003 (CENS)--The Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) recently inked a letter of intent with its Japanese and European counterparts to co-develop Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) technology at an Internet technology meeting held in Taipei.

TWNIC is a government-backed non-profit organization in charge of domain name registration and IP address allocation in Taiwan.

IPv6 is the next generation protocol designed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to replace the current version Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.

IPv4 has been used for nearly 20 years. The addresses are expected to be used up in 2005 due to the rapid expansion of the Internet population.

Primer Yu Shyi-kun was invited to speak at the meeting, which drew the participation of hundreds of Internet-business leaders from around the world. Yu noted that Taiwan is the world's fourth-largest supplier of information-technology hardware and has laid a solid foundation for the development of the information communications industry.

A specialist from Academia Sinica noted that Internet security has become an important issue as hackers launch thousands of denial of service attacks on the Internet almost every week throughout the world. He emphasized that the new-generation Internet security architecture should permit only authorized users.

The Internet Society (ISOC) chairman Fred Baker pointed out that Internet abuse will be the greatest challenge to the Internet.

He emphasized that IP addresses will run short with the rising use of third-generation cellular and wireless local area network technologies.

Nortel Networks chief Internet system designer Mark Williams pointed out that the IPv6 market will first take off with wireless applications such as 3G and WLAN equipment. He noted that all 3G systems such as CDMA 2000 and UMTS will use IPv6 technology for data transmissions.

Andrew Coward, Juniper Networks' vice president of engineering in the Asia Pacific, noted that IPv6 will make its initial inroads in the educational sector and only later expand to businesses. He also predicted that the IPv6 market would first take shape in Asia since Asian countries have an edge in electronics manufacturing.

Coward estimated that information appliances and handheld gadgets would be the major applications of IPv6.


Taiwanese insiders pointed out that the IPv6 market is taking shape in Japan as industry leaders there are connecting digital cameras, household appliances and automobiles to the Internet. At the request of their Japanese customers, Taiwanese makers of network equipment, including Accton Technology Corp., Zyxel Communications Corp. and D-Link Corp. are joining the development of IPv6 products.