SIP Forum develops IPv6 task group

The SIP Forum on Wednesday launched a SIP over IPv6 Task Group to help address deployment and interoperability issues that all members of the telecom and IT industry face in migrating to SIP over IPv6.

Already, the group has developed and ratified a charter to identify issues with SIP over IPv6 as well as the impact of dual stack IPv4/IPv6 implementations and dual stack devices on existing SIP networks. Going forward, the forum plans to ask other members of the service provider, application developer and vendor communities to participate.

Leading the group will be co-chairs John Berg of CableLabs and Andrew Hutton of Siemens Enterprise Communications, who will work with SIP Forum management, including Technical Working Group Director Spencer Dawkins, Chairman of the Board Richard Shockey and Managing Director and President Marc Robins.

Overall, the goal of the IPv6 Task Group is centered on helping the growing base of SIP-based network providers, including a bevy of traditional telcos, cable operators and over the top service providers, not only transition to IPv6, but also understand IPv6's co-existence with IPv4.

Although the deployment of IPv6 is still nascent, the protocol fits well with SIP in the application layer, which operates as the signaling protocol for handling both VoIP and multimedia applications carried over an IP network.

With IPv4 address space expected to run out in the United States by 2013, and by 2014 worldwide, a growing base of service providers and businesses have already enabled IPv6 permanently on their websites. In response, home network vendors that serve both telcos and cable operators have also incorporated IPv6 and dual stack IPv4/IPv6 implementations into their devices to support this transition.

In June, the Internet and telecom community held its second annual World IPv6 Launch. According to participants in the second annual event, the amount of IPv6 traffic did increase since the first event was held in 2011.

For more:
- see the release

Special report: World IPv6 Launch results: What effect did the event have on the Internet?

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