Regional IPv6 Week

The Regional IPv6 Week will be a coordinated test of the new Internet protocol, held from 06 to 12 of February, 2012. Websites, content providers, ISPs, NSPs, as well as final users are invited to participate. This regional initiative was originated in Brazil and nowdays is involving providers in almost every country in Latin America and the Caribbean regions. The test is open and anyone can participate, even from other parts of the world. Companies and institutions such as: Globo, iG, KingHost, Telefônica, Terra, UOL and USP, and many others will take part on this test.

How will the IPv6 Week work?

• Several websites will enable IPv6 on their servers during the IPv6 Week, working with both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.
• ISPs will offer IPv6 connectivity to some home and corporative users for testing purposes.
• Data centers, web hosting companies, and other types of services providers will also have their IPv6 networks enabled.They will encourage their customers to use IPv6 and to participate in this test or will select some customers for the IPv6 as pilot tests.
• End users with either native or tunneled IPv6 connectivity in their homes or businesses will participate, helping to verify the operation of IPv6-enabled services.Activities, contests and prizes will be avaible.
• Participants in the Campus Party Brasil, will have native IPv6 connectivity, will also have an active role in the test!

What purpose will this test serve?

• To promote the adoption of IPv6.
• To test the operation of IPv6 enabled networks and IPv6 based services in a coordinated and organized way in order to minimize potential negative effects caused by failures.
• To check for potential problems related to the transition techniques between IPv4 and IPv6 such as automatic 6to4 or Teredo Tunnels.

Why is it needed?

• IPv4 address are running out and IPv6 is the only answers for a globally-connected future internet.
• Ongoing measurements show that enabling dual-stack (v4 and v6) for web content results in some users experiencing connectivity issues.
• This creates a disincentive for individual content providers to act unilaterally.
• At the same time, lack of IPv6 content is also a disincentive for ISPs and end users
• There's a need to motivate organizations across the industry to prepare theis services for IPv6 to ensure successful transition as IPv4 addres are running out.

What organizations are coordinating the regional IPv6 week

• NIC.br originated the initiatie following the success of World of IPv6 Day.
• LACNIC, the Latin America and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry is encouraging member to start provinding services with IPv6
• Internet Society can provide a platform to help build confidence across the industry to tackle these IPv6 deployment issues, including real-world deployment information via its Deploy360 Programme.

Similar tests and activities

• The most recent and comprehensive test was the World IPv6 Day, promoted by Internet Society on June 8, 2011. This test was a great success, with more than 1000 participating websites and few reported problems. About 70% of these sites kept their IPv6 active after the tests. A follow-up activity, World IPv6 Launch will be held June 6, 2012, when organizations will permanently enable IPv6 for their products and services.
• On September, 2010, the German site Heise.de had done a similar test. And on October 26, 2010, was the time for two of the most important Norway sites: A-pressen Digitale Medier and VG Multimedia. Nowadays, all of them operate with dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6).