NTIA Seeks Comment on Factors, Barriers to IPv6 Adoption

NTIA sought comment Thursday on factors influencing industry adoption of IPv6, amid the near-complete exhaustion of IPv4 addresses. Though adoption of IPv6 is increasing, only 32 percent of U.S. internet services are IPv6-capable, said NTIA Office of International Affairs Telecom Policy Specialist Ashley Heineman in a blog post. “As IPv4 addresses become more scarce, companies and other organizations that have yet to transition to IPv6 may find it difficult to expand their Internet presence.” NTIA said in a Federal Register notice it's particularly interested in feedback from firms that have adopted IPv6 on the “benefits, costs and challenges they have experienced, as well as any insight into additional incentives that could aid future adoption, implementation, and support of IPv6.” The Department of Commerce intends to use the comments to “inform” its work to promote IPv6, including a planned IPv6 best practices forum set to be held during the Internet Governance Forum's December meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico, NTIA said. Comments are due Oct. 3.