Things you didn't know - ISPs

Internet Service Providers urgently need to roll out the next generation of net addresses for online devices.

Every device that goes online is allocated a unique IP address but the pool of numbers is finite and due to run out around 2010.

A new system, called IPv6, has been awaiting roll out for 10 years. Unless IPv6 is switched on in the coming years, some devices might not be able to go online.

The current system, called IPv4 provides four billion addresses but the explosion in the number of devices which go online has led to the potential shortage.

IPv6 will create 340 trillion trillion trillion separate addresses, enough to satisfy demand for decades to come.

It is anticipated that in 2008 there will be a substantial increase of use of IPv6, introduced in parallel with IPv4. One complicating factor is that IPv6 and IPv4 are not compatible so ISPs will have to run the two systems in parallel - adding to costs.

In Asia, governments in China, Korea and Japan have begun to lead roll out of IPv6 and the European Union is reviewing methods to encourage adoption.

Source: 100 things we didn’t know last year by the BBC