Build a strategy for success
IPv6 is a key concern for every service provider, but may seem a daunting challenge. Avoiding migration is no longer a valid option as new subscribers and devices will need more IP addresses to connect to the Internet. Further, the Internet is based almost exclusively on IPv4, and IPv6 is not backwards compatible. That means service providers need a two-pronged strategy:
Tactical: Tackle the IPv4 address exhaustion problem
Strategic: Introduce and transition to IPv6
During the transition phase, service providers can deploy a variety of tunneling, transition, and translation technologies that allow them to extend their use of existing IPv4 addresses while they introduce IPv6 to their networks.
Long-term, service providers can upgrade their Alcatel-Lucent Service Routers to support dual stack routing, which is the ability to support both IPv4 and IPv6 routing and addressing in parallel.
The underlying mechanics of IP don’t matter to most subscribers. But they do matter to service providers, who must carefully plan and execute their IPv6 transition in a manner that ensures the user experience remains transparent and seamless.