Vietnam on Monday began test run and transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) since IPv4 addresses were already exhausted two years ago.

IPv6 is a communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet. It is designed with a 128-bit address, offering a nearly infinite address space.

Currently, FPT, NetNam, VNPT, Viettel and the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) are providing IPv6 services for organizations and companies.

Speaking at the Vietnam IPv6 Day organized in HCMC on Monday, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang said Vietnam had to test run and switch to IPv6 because of IPv4 address exhaustion.
“Organizations and companies should switch to IPv6 to modernize their information technology infrastructure and update new applications for their operations,” he said.

Michael Biber, acting chair at IPv6 Asia-Pacific Task Force, said there would be over 7.1 billion globally connected mobile devices by 2015. The rapid growth in the number of Internet-connected devices and their interaction has exhausted IPv4 addresses and made the transition to IPv6 irreversible.

Without new addresses, millions of Internet users will be unable to use next-generation Internet services. Therefore, enterprises should implement IPv6 as soon as possible, said Biber.

Although IPv6 brings several benefits to companies and organizations, there are internal challenges such as high investment costs and the requirement for enterprises to determine their investment roadmaps and business model, as well as diversify applications.

Therefore, experts said that running both IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time would be the most efficient and appropriate in the current context.