Lagos – The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) on Friday announced that the Internet Protocol Version Six (IPv6) would address the future population on the internet worldwide.
Mr Muhammed Rudman, the Managing Director, IXPN, disclosed this during the 2016 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Africa Forum with the title: ”Creating Opportunities for all Nigerians with IPv6”.
Rudman, while discussing on the topic: “Status update of IPv6 in the spectrum’’ added that the country had adopted the version but that regrettably internet networks operators had partial usage of the version.
He said that the new version came to be when the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) in 2011 disclosed that the IPv4 was going into extinction and as such would not be enough for global use.
He defined Internet Protocol as the method by which “data is sent from one computer to another on the internet.’’
“Out of the 115 networks in the country, 35 of them have adopted the IPv6 and of which about two to three networks are partially using the version.
“The IPv6 will enable billions of new users, billion of new devices, register over 300million domains and will accommodate more Top Level Domain.
“Internet protocol allows all connection to the Internet having sufficient addresses.
“When one connects, innovation happens and this will improve the standard of living of people,” he said.
He said that for a way forward, there should be awareness and capacity building, provision of some profit incentives to interest industry to encourage them to adopt to the version.
The IXPN Managing Director urged government to ensure that all information technology equipment supplied to them should be IPv6 compliance and setting deadline for government parastatals to comply.
He listed some of the challenges to be tackled as lack of technical knowhow, core metro and edge equipment compatibility issues, lack of IPv6 upstream service providers and non request from end users.
He also listed some of the features of IPv6 as scalability, security, real-time application, mobility etc.
Mr Yemi Adedoyin, the Manager, Broadband Business and Converged Solution of Phase 3 Telecom said that for a country with vast potential like Nigeria, it certainly needs to tap into the internet Protocol resources.
He listed some of the opportunities as “to connect to people easily, helps one to be productive and will impact on the Gross Domestic Product of the country’’.
Prof. Adesola Aderunmu, the President Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) said that the problem of infrastructure should be tackled to enable IPv6 to work.
“The IPv6 will play an important role in job creation for youths but will be inhibited if infrastructure problem is not tackled,” he said.
He listed some of the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs which the version would tackle as lack of fund to implement business ideas and lack of focus by students.
Also included are high rate of bribery and corruption, lack of support in education and lack of strategies to provide IT opportunities to graduates.
Aderunmu said that to solve these problem, government should have a form of corroboration with stakeholders and provide research centers for the youths.
In his contribution, Mr Remi Afon, the President, Cyber Security Expert Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) disclosed some of the vulnerabilities that people faced on the internet.
He urged the participants and school children present to always stop, think and connect before working on the internet.
He listed some issues that would affect users on the internet as identity theft, fraud and phishing, cyber bullying, cyber predators and urged users to be vigilant on them.
Afon disclosed some social media tips that would aid users “as limiting the amount of personal information posted on the internet, remembering that the internet is a public place, be wary of strangers and be skeptical.’’(NAN)
