BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA: Accelerating consumption of IPv4 Internet addresses in the face of depleting free address pool would be the focus of APNIC 27 (Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre) meet that would be held at Manila from 23-27 February, 2009 .

The APNIC Internet community met twice a year to discuss Internet governance and resource policy issues in an open, consensus-driven, multi-stakeholder environment. This meeting, hosted by Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) of the Department of Science and Technology, would take place in the Philippines capital of Manila. APNIC meetings and policy discussions are open to any interested party, but they are of particular interest to organizations with an interest in Internet number resources, such as ISPs, equipment vendors, content providers/aggregators and government regulators in Asia Pacific.

Four of the seven policy proposals up for discussion in Manila relate to the transfer of already-allocated IPv4 address space, either between resource holders, or between RIRs (Regional Internet Registries). Policy proposals that would permit easy transfers between resource holders would be also discussed.

Paul Wilson, director general, APNIC, said: "The process of transitioning the world"s networks to IPv6 is underway as we face the inevitable exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool. However, the IPv4 protocol will remain an important part of the Internet for many years and strong demand is predicted to continue long after the free pool of unallocated resources is exhausted. There are justifiable community concerns that the remaining free pool of unallocated address space is distributed fairly in accordance with the global and regional community"s wishes."

There is also a recognition that the community would benefit by being able to redistribute address space where needed."

While there is general community agreement that the transfer of IPv4 resources will become necessary to facilitate the redistribution of unused address space once the free pool is exhausted, the exact procedures and policies are proving far more contentious. Some community members believe an ill-conceived or poorly regulated system could disadvantage developing economies, lead to profiteering, or cause a loss of accuracy in the APNIC Whois Database and disrupt the smooth operation of the Internet in the region.

Integrating IPv6

Ultimately, the continued growth of the Internet will require that users and operators adopt the replacement protocol for Internet addressing. APNIC continues to inform and educate the Asia Pacific community, equipping them with the skills and information they require to begin this transformation. At APNIC 27, the community will attend specific IPv6 training and will have the opportunity to listen to knowledgeable speakers present their views and experience of the transition. In the plenary presentation, IPv6 in 3D, presenters representing different layers of the network model will offer their perspectives and advice for successful IPv6 deployment.

APNIC 28 would be held in August this year in Beijing, China and APNIC 29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.