Verizon to Participate in World IPv6 Day on June 8

NEW YORK, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon will join the Internet Society and participate in World IPv6 Day on June 8. The event will give Verizon customers and industry leaders an opportunity to test the new Internet addressing system, IPv6, and learn about its future benefits.

For 24 hours, network service providers, Internet service providers, content delivery networks, website owners, hardware and software manufacturers and others will enable IPv6 on their main services and test its readiness. This is the first global-scale production trial of IPv6.

The industry is moving from the current Internet Protocol version 4, which has been in place since the 1980s, to Internet Protocol version 6 because the pool of IPv4 addresses is nearly depleted. The new IPv6 addressing system will expand the number of possible addresses from approximately 4 billion with IPv4 to roughly 340 trillion trillion trillion IPv6 addresses.

Verizon -- Early Adopter of IPv6

Verizon is a pioneer in developing and delivering IPv6 capabilities to the market. In the mid-1990s, Verizon developed a high-speed network called vBNS (very high speed backbone network service) to support leading-edge IP applications and technologies. This network, which later evolved to vBNS+, was one of the first to carry native IPv6 traffic in 1998.

"As a company with a deep, rich heritage in the Internet and an early adopter of IPv6, Verizon is committed to supporting all customers who are interested in learning about the new IPv6 protocol and the associated benefits," said Jean McManus, executive director of Verizon's Corporate Technology organization. "Whether our customers are residential, small-to-large business or government agencies, most will face some kind of transition to IPv6 over the next several years, and we want to leverage our expertise to help them make the transition as smooth as possible.

"Many Verizon Wireless customers are using IPv6 on the 4G LTE network, while our Verizon enterprise customers are seeking opportunities to begin testing their hardware and software using the new protocol. World IPv6 Day will give everyone an opportunity to participate in the testing and learn more about the benefits and capabilities of IPv6," McManus said.

Throughout the 24 hours of testing, Verizon will have technical teams assigned to identify and troubleshoot any IPv6 issues. The teams also will be checking with others in the industry to see if any trends are developing.  In addition, ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon, will participate with Verizon in World IPv6 Day and focus on security issues.

"With hundreds of companies and organizations from around the world participating, World IPv6 Day is an opportunity for the Internet industry to collaborate and test IPv6 readiness in a real production environment," said Leslie Daigle, Internet Society chief Internet technology officer. "We expect the test flight to provide insight into actual current breadth of IPv6 deployment, any issues that need attention and to provide experience and understanding that will accelerate IPv6 deployment."

IPv6 -- Today and Tomorrow

Moving to IPv6 will enable continued long-term growth for Verizon's IP networks and provide an opportunity for innovative wireless and wireline IP and data services. The company also will be able to open new frontiers for future business growth.

Verizon currently is deploying a technology called "dual-stack" -- which allows simultaneous support of IPv4 and IPv6 -- giving customers the option to access key IP networks and services using either the IPv4 or IPv6 protocol. This also will give business customers flexibility to begin a smooth transition to the new protocol while still conducting regular daily activities.

The most recent service enabled with the IPv6 protocol is Verizon's Internet Dedicated Services, which currently is available in the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The company also offers a suite of professional consulting services to help businesses and government agencies tailor a clear and seamless path for IPv6 adoption within their specific operations. Other Verizon products and services in both the consumer and enterprise business units will become IPv6-enabled over the next few years.

(Listen to an audio podcast, featuring Chris Kimm, vice president, Verizon network field operations in Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific, to learn more about the business opportunities associated with IPv6.)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon