The Philippines continues to grapple with low adoption rates of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), with an alarming rate of just 18.5%, according to the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC).
Department of Science and Technology – Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) said that as the nation pushes for digital transformation, improving IPv6 uptake has become increasingly critical.
In its inception, the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) was designed to give 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. However, with the growing number of devices, as well as the rapid digitalization of today, this led to the IPv4 address exhaustion in the 2010s.
This has laid the groundwork for the necessity of IPv6, which offers an almost limitless number of addresses and promises to enhance internet traffic efficiency globally.
The DOST-ASTI has been at the forefront of pushing its adoption in the Philippines. In the 1990s, the agency established an IPv6 testbed as part of the Philippine Research, Education, and Government Information Network (PREGINET).
In support of these efforts, the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT), predecessor of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), initiated Executive Order No. 893 in 2010, which aims to promote the deployment of IPv6 across the nation.
Despite these foundational efforts, the Philippines finds itself lagging behind other Southeast Asian countries in IPv6 adoption, in 2024 which could raise concerns with Internet access.
In response, DOST-ASTI is actively engaging with academic institutions, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and cable television operators to advocate for the benefits of IPv6.
APNIC has awarded a grant to DOST-ASTI to facilitate the implementation of the Open Network Testbed Laboratory for Internet Technologies Deployment and Experimentation (ON-IDLE) Project.
This effort aims to provide a robust framework for testing and experimenting with new internet technologies, thereby fostering greater IPv6 adoption.
With the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) as cooperating partner to the project, the PREGINET’s capability and experience in establishing IPv6 as the primary addressing network, is being taught to network operators and service providers.
Training institutions are also tapped to integrate the IPv6 into the curricula, for future batch of engineers and network experts.
At an event held on Dec. 4 attended by industry stakeholders, discussions revolved around the history, current status, and future of IPv6 adoption in the Philippines.
The meeting underscored a shared commitment among participants to elevate the nation’s position in the regional digital landscape through increased IPv6 adoption.
