In recent months, there has been a groundswell of urgency around IPv6 as IPv4 addresses fall to critically low levels – below the 5% mark, according to the Number Resource Organization.
Is IPv6 Finally Becoming a Reality?
So, after years of discussion and a lot of hype, it looks like IPv6 is finally arriving … and fast! At this point, the only question is “when”, and I think we’re going to see carriers, enterprises and device manufacturers alike dramatically accelerate their support efforts.
How Are Carriers Approaching IPv6 Adoption?
Carriers specifically are at different stages in the adoption cycle and taking various approaches to the challenge, ranging from full, native IPv6 support to dual-stack traffic sharing and IP tunneling, among others. Some are rolling out IPv6 incrementally in regional markets, while others are deploying IPv6-only networks for mobile and IoT traffic to reduce complexity and conserve remaining IPv4 space.
What Makes IPv6 So Important for the Future of the Internet?
The global supply of IPv4 addresses has been exhausted for years, forcing providers to rely on network address translation (NAT) to keep new users online. IPv6 solves this by offering a vastly larger address space—enough to give every device on the planet a unique public IP. Beyond addressing, IPv6 improves routing efficiency, supports more streamlined packet headers, and enables end-to-end encryption by default, making it more secure and better suited for high-growth use cases like IoT, 5G, and cloud-native applications.
How Is HorizonIQ Preparing for the IPv6 Era?
At HorizonIQ, our global network is already fully prepared for IPv6 traffic, with support built into our private network access points (P-NAPs) around the world. This means customers can seamlessly deliver applications, websites, and services over IPv6 without worrying about complex transitional gateways or degraded performance. As more carriers and enterprises enable IPv6, HorizonIQ’s backbone and edge infrastructure will ensure a smooth transition—while continuing to deliver the speed, reliability, and low latency that today’s digital businesses demand.
Are You Ready to Embrace IPv6?
Has the recent urgency about IPv6 caused you to step up your preparation for IPv6? Or, do you think there is still plenty of time? Either way, now is the perfect time to evaluate your network strategy. HorizonIQ can help you test and deploy IPv6-ready environments so your business stays ahead of the curve as the internet shifts to its next generation.
