European carriers are freeing up more budget to cover the transition to IPv6, as they prepare for exhaustion of IPv4 web addresses, the director of voice and media services at Interoute claims.
Mark Lewis told Telecoms Europe.net carriers are gearing up for the change as their legacy TDM platforms approach the end of their operating life. That end of life scenario means more budget is available to cover IPv6 capex, removing one of the main barriers to full adoption of the technology.
“The decision now becomes one of policy and some minor budget (training, rollout costs – predominantly OpEx) for the change,” he said.
Interoute has already geared up for the change, announcing plans for Europe’s first IPv6-compliant VoIP network in association with Genband earlier this week. Lewis said the firm is “already selling IPv6 wholesales services,” and that businesses in the region are increasingly aware of the pending change, quizzing the firm on its readiness to handle the new tranch of addresses.
“IPv6 is a disruptive evolution,” he notes, adding. “The opportunity is as large as the unified communications market segment.”
Lewis says Interoute will start rolling out its IPv6 VoIP network in 3Q11, and aims for its entire network to be compliant by 4Q.
Exhaustion of IPv4 addresses is now imminent, after the last batch of addresses were issued to the world’s five regional registries in February.