Since August 2020, the curtain on IPv4 has been lowered in the LACNIC region. On this date, LACNIC assigned the last available block of addresses for that protocol. As of this moment, we only have IPv6 space available for the future of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The different alternatives.
New LACNIC associates can obtain IPv6 space immediately, but to obtain IPv4 space their options are limited. They can enter the LACNIC waiting list (The estimated wait is currently 7 years for organizations that join today) or transfer IPv4 addresses - two options that do not seem to be sustainable in the long term. LACNIC associates who already have IPv4 assignments can only receive IPv6 space directly from LACNIC or attempt to receive a transfer.
Regarding the deployment of IPv6 in the region, notable progress is being made in this regard, with a global average adoption of 40% in IPv6. According to the figures as of August 2023, the table is led by Uruguay (56%), Mexico (45%), Brazil (43.8%), Panama (30%) and Peru (25.5%), among others.
Redes IPv6 Only
It is true that to provide Internet service it is still necessary to have minimum portions of IPv4. And what seems to be the best way to use the little available IPv4 efficiently? To provide a good service in IPv6 and take advantage of the few IPv4 addresses available, it would be with what we call IPv6 Only networks.
When we talk about IPv6 Only networks we are referring to networks where all the use of IPv4 occurs at the edge of the network , we also say that users have access to both IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time because the network (what connects clients to the Internet ) is only IPv6 and has the IPv4 service.
How is IPv4 service provided to customers? With different technologies that operate at the edge of the network. IPv4 reaches the edge of the network, it does not reach the end user because mechanisms are applied that allow IPv4 content to be transported over IPv6 packets.
At LACNIC we are promoting the use of these technologies in the region and we have tutorials, guides and information accessible to our entire community.
In the case of access networks, end users receive the Internet in IPv6 but can access IPv4 content.
In data center networks, in addition to NAT 64, proxies and load balancers are used, which already have the functionalities that allow them to receive requests in IPv4 and distribute the load in IPv6 among several servers. We will be talking about these and other topics in our IPv6 Only preparation webinar prior to the tutorial “Building an IPv6-only network” that will take place at LACNIC 40- LACNOG 2023.
What are the advantages?
In the case of networks, with Carrier-Grade NAT, an ISP still has to manage one IPv4 network and another IPv6 network. Doing it in an IPv6 Only way allows you to simplify the entire network inwards. Basically the operator forgets about IPv4 internally and takes the complexity of the reduction to the extremes (to the equipment that is in the user's home and at the edge of the network).
At LACNIC we have been working on IPv6 Only for some time and now we have put special focus on different training sessions prior to LACNIC 40- LACNOG 2023, where we will have an exclusive tutorial for this topic: “Walking towards the future: building an IPv6 only network”.
Being receptive to innovations and IPv6 Only is one of the ways to lift the new function and expand the use of the Internet.