The new Internet: the transition to a ubiquitous Internet society

Japan, Inc., Autumn, 2005 by Jack Turner

This is the same IP network that will facilitate communication between the millions of devices yet to connect and lead to the new ubiquitous network society. Many solutions are currently being developed to allow different devices to work properly over the same connection. Examples are "triple play" solutions, such as those designed by Allied Telesis to aid simultaneous VoIP, web browsing and video applications over the same network connection, ensuring each is allocated the right resources and runs smoothly.

The technology platform that will enable this network is called Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). The current Internet protocol (version 4) was originally developed by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the United States over 30 years ago, but IPv6 has a number of advantages. The difference is often compared to a new set of road rules, as it allows smoother, faster, and safer traffic flow, and also allows more cars (current devices) and different vehicles (new devices) on the road.

IPv6 is now supported in almost every major operating system and by most hardware manufacturers in Japan. Many "IPv6Ready" commercial products, including network cameras, printers, routers, and IP phones, are already on the market. NTT and KDDI provide IPv6-enabled services, including an IPv6 videophone service by NTT East. One of the benefits of IPv6 is multicast broadcast. Multicast supports a single broadcaster, sending to multiple viewers, with the difference being that viewers can select any stream whenever they choose. This opens up an array of new business opportunities in areas such as Internet broadcast. Softbank is already trialing this technology and implementing a three-phased IPv6 roadmap, whose second phase involves multicast video-delivery service using IPv6 as well as communication and P2P applications. Softbank currently offers live coverage of Hawks baseball games over Yahoo Hikari optical fiber connections, which give the viewer an animated scoreboard, player information, the ability to chat with other viewers, and a choice of 30 different camera angles.

IPv6 also works with new versions of Mobile IP, another key component of the new Internet because it allows devices to "move about" on the network. Say, for example, you are participating in a video conference call on your PDA while riding the train to work. As the train moves, it will most likely pass from one network segment to another. During the transition your device should maintain the feed to the conference call, without any loss of connection. Mobile IP and IPv6 will combine to provide an enabling platform for such applications.

Although IPv6 is still viewed as a "future" technology because the limits of IPv4 have not yet been reached, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications has announced that "the spread of the IPv6 Internet [the new Internet] is expected to push the value of the information and communications technology (ICT) market from 50 trillion yen in 2001 to 121 trillion yen in 2010 due to major growth especially in the devices and content markets."