NEWS RELEASE

ICTA launches Public Consultation on Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 in Mauritius

Port Louis : The Information and Communication Technologies Authority has launched, what is likely to become one of its landmark Public Consultations. On 17 th March 2011 the ICT Authority had published a Consultation Paper designed to gauge the views of stakeholders and the public on the issues and implications of the transition from IPv4 to IPv6. The paper is available for consultation on the Authority's website at www.icta.mu .

IPv4 is today the most widespread version of the Internet Protocol, that is, the protocol used across the Internet for all kinds of communication; any device wishing to connect to the Internet needs to have an IP address.

However, IPv4 is now fully depleted.

On 3rd February this year, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated the final five /8 blocks of IPv4 address space (that is, 5x16,777,216 individual IP addresses) to the five Regional Internet Registries.

The comments and submissions emanating from the Public Consultation will serve to assess a number of critical issues:

•  the readiness of stakeholders in Mauritius as well as the need for any regulatory intervention, and the extent of such intervention in the process of transition from IPv4 to IPv6

•  the need for the setting up of a neutral agency to manage IP addresses within Mauritius

•  the status of the uptake of IPv6 in Mauritius from local Internet Service Providers

•  the need for any enabling policy initiatives

Because all the available IPv4 address space is running out, all Internet stakeholders must now take definitive action to deploy IPv6. Without the adoption of IPv6 it will be impossible for the Internet to continue its level of growth and foster global innovation.

IPv6 has the capacity inter alia to expand the available address space on the Internet exponentially, using 128 bits instead of the 32 bits as in the IPv4. IPv6 will also improve the quality of service and security features for users.

Any person or organization who wish to make any submission to the ICT Authority may do so on the email address IPv6consultation@imail.icta.mu , participants are urged to back up comments and views with clearly set out rationale, examples and alternative proposals. The comments will be compiled and posted on the ICT Authority's website, www.icta.mu , along with the way forward resulting from this consultation.

29 March 2011