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On April 15, 2011, APNIC (distributing IP addresses in the Asia-Pacific region) and JPNIC (controlling IP addresses for Japan) announced the close of normal distribution of IPv4 addresses.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will endeavor to further promote the introduction of IPv6, which is the standard that will become the successor to IPv4.
Please note that IPv4 addresses currently in use will remain valid, so all current ordinary end-users of Internet connection services will not be directly affected by these circumstances.
On April 15, 2011, APNIC (see note 1), which distributes IP addresses in the Asia-Pacific region, announced that due to general requests the inventories of distributable IPv4 addresses (see note 2) had been exhausted, and in future the maximum distribution to telecommunications carriers will be set at 1,024 units.
Since JPNIC (see note 3), which controls IP addresses for Japan, does not hold any inventory, JPNIC has also announced the close of general distribution in line with the APNIC announcement.
Consequently, while Japan's telecommunications carriers continue to make effective use of IPv4 addresses that they have already been allocated, it will now become even more important to quickly introduce IPv6 (see note 4), which is the standard that will become the successor to IPv4.
Based on the assumption that this would happen, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has conducted studies concerning smooth introduction policy for IPv6 via its “Research Society concerning Faster Internet Utilization through IPv6” and has moved ahead with support by constructing shared introduction promotion systems (see note 5) between government and people in cooperation with relevant organizations.
While already promoting support focused on major ISPs, etc., the MIC will now request a quick introduction of IPv6, etc. and provision of relevant information, etc. to end-users.
Please note that IPv4 addresses currently in use will remain valid, so all current ordinary end-users of Internet connection services will not be directly affected by these circumstances.
Note 1: Asia Pacific Network Information Centre: This organization controls and distributed Internet resources such as IP addresses, etc. in the Asia-Pacific region.
Note 2: IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4): This communication system is utilized as the main basic technology behind the Internet. Approximately 43 hundred million IP addresses can be allocated using IPv4.
Note 3: Japan Network Information Center: This organization controls Internet resources such as IP addresses, etc. in Japan. (http://www.nic.ad.jp/)
Note 4: IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6): The successor to the IPv4 standard, with a practically infinite number of IP addresses (3.4 x 10 to the power of 38). Compared with IPv4 its features include enhanced security, simplification of all options, and so on.
Note 5: Task Force on IPv4 Address Exhaustion, Japan (http://kokatsu.jp/).
Reference URLs
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) “Research Society concerning Faster Internet Utilization through IPv6”
Task Force on IPv4 Address Exhaustion, Japan “Provision of supporter-specific instructions concerning introduction of IPv6 (materials for Internet businesses follow)”
JPNIC “Explanation of IPv4 address inventory exhaustion (for individual users, business users and service providers)”
IPv6 Promotion Council “Technical Information concerning Introduction of IPv6 (materials for Internet businesses follow)”
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For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html
International Policy Division,
Global ICT Strategy Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5374 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924 |
