Comcast lengthens IPv6 lead
Comcast continues to outpace rival U.S. cable companies in the development of next-generation Internet connectivity and content.
Last week, the Philadelphia ISP was among the first carriers to demonstrate end-to-end IPv6 transmission for residential broadband customers. IPv6 is a long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet’s main communications protocol that provides more IP addresses, built-in security and easier configuration than the existing IPv4 protocol.
Comcast’s demonstration, which was held at the North American Network Operators’ Group (NANOG) meeting, featured IPv6-enabled Web content from three leading providers: The Planet, a Web hosting company; Netflix, a movie distribution Web site; and Limelight Networks, a video streaming service.
``We showed the community what IPv6 might look like in a residential broadband scenario, coupled with content and services,’’ said John Brzozowski, chief architect for the IPv6 program at Comcast. ``What was significant was the whole collection of technologies involved and the collaborative effort it took to make it happen.’’
Comcast said it will be another year before the IPv6 service it demonstrated is commercially available.
``We're entering broadband trials later this year and will probably introduce IPv6 residential service in 2010,’’ said Jorge Alberni, director of corporate communications for Comcast. ``I don’t know exactly when general deployment will happen.’’
Also last week, Comcast announced that it would offer IPv6 transit services to its wholesale customers. Comcast has around 100 wholesale business customers, which are primarily Web hosting companies and Web content providers. Two of Comcast's wholesale customers – The Planet and BitGravity — said they were purchasing the new IPv6 transit service.
Brzozowski says Comcast's wholesale customers are worried about IPv4 address depletion, which is expected to occur by 2012. Additionally, these Web content providers are concerned that if they don’t embrace IPv6 now, they’ll be forced to send their content over a complex architecture of carrier-grade network address translation devices once IPv4 addresses run out.
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
On Twitter now
comcast
Powered by Twitter
Esther Schindler
If the comments are ugly, the code is ugly
claird
SVG a graphics format for 21st century
pasmith
Take Chrome OS for a test spin
Sandra Henry-Stocker
Solaris Tip: Have Your Files Changed Since Installation?
jfruh
Android fragments vs. the iPhone monolith
mikelgan
What Gizmodo missed about the Pro WX Wireless USB disk drive
Where Google Chrome security fails: the password
I heard mention that the Chrome OS will have some sort of encryption available a la bitlocker. If it's possible to encrypt personal data using another password or key, then it may have potential for very secure data.... And Ubuntu has an 'encrypt home directory' option, perhaps google should follow suit.
- Dann
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.
