Even though there is still some IPv4 address space available, the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN) free pool is now depleting. So, if you’re a network operator or a content company, it’s time to start considering a migration to IPv6. In an interview with John Furrier and Jeff Frick at this year’s Peer 2.0 Open Educational Conference for Next-Generation Interconnection, Richard Jimmerson, CIO at ARIN, explained the timing of IPv4’s depletion and why IPv6 is going to be so essential.

IPv4 Depletion Can’t be Predicted

At this time, ARIN has about 0.81 of an /8 remaining in the IPv4 free pool and about one fourth of an /8 of space held aside for those new to the game who are transitioning to IPv6 and need a small block of IPv4 for assistance. ARIN will also be able to give up to a /24 to each organization. This will be it, though, after the general free pool deletes, and there’s no way of knowing when that’s actually going to happen.

“We could actually deplete our free pool in the coming days or it could last as long as the beginning of next year, but the time has finally come where we are going to deplete the IPv4 free pool in North America,” said Jimmerson.

For network operators who rely on a steady stream of IPv4 addresses to get new customers or issue new services, “the faucet of IPv4 is going to get turned off” and using past methods to get address space are no longer going be viable. Jimmerson went on to say that, after the ARIN free pool depletes, one way to still get IPv4 address space is by trading the addresses with others. He also warned that when content companies reach the point when they can no longer get more IPv4 address space for the registry, they “are going to get a strong message that it’s really time to look at IPv6.”

The Transition to IPv6

Jimmerson explained that the past process of taking content, putting it up on the IPv4 Internet and automatically assuming that everyone connected to the Internet is going to be able to see it, is not going to be a realistic expectation moving forward. He said that content has to be on both IPv4 and IPv6 if companies want to be on the whole Internet.

“As time goes on, there are going to be more and more people who are only going to be connected to the Internet using IPv6. There might be some transition back to IPv4 for them, but when operators can no longer get IPv4 address space from the registries, they’re going to have to make some tough decision,” said Jimmerson.

See his entire segment below:

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