On the ocassion of Viet Nam IPv6 Day 2018, VNNIC, the Standing Committee for Viet Nam IPv6 Task Force (VNIPv6TF) held a series of conferences and workshops, with the aim to promote IPv6 deployment in 4G LTE, content services and government agencies’ networks.
IPv6 deployment in 4G LTE and content services
To begin, The Standing Committee for VNIPv6TF held the conference with the topic “IPv6 deployment in 4G LTE and content services” on May 4th, 2018 in Hanoi. The conference was moderated by Mr. Pham Hong Hai, Deputy Minister of MIC and Mr. Tran Minh Tan, Director General of VNNIC. Representatives of FPT Online, VNPT, Viettel, VNG, Mobifone delivered their speeches about IPv6 deployment solutions for their mobile and content services. They also shared information between ISPs regrading the strategy, transition issues and IPv6 technical issues.
Mr. Tran Minh Tan, Director General of VNNIC moderated the conference in Hanoi
Undoubtedly, the proliferation of smart phone together with global mobile consumer trends have driven the need for more IP addresses and the need to expand bandwidth. Therefore, it is essential to take the initiative to deploy IPv6 in 4G LTE, 5G and and provide IPv6 enable content unless Viet Nam want to stand outside the development trend. In Viet Nam, FTTH networks has contributed greatly to IPv6 adoption rate increase. By the end of April, 2018, IPv6 adoption rate in Viet Nam reached about 14% with more than 6 million IPv6 users. FPT Telecom and VNPT are leading ISPs in IPv6 deployment in the economy.
FPT Telecom is continously giving an impulse to provide IPv6 service to their customers. They had deployed IPv6 on FTTH for about 1.5 million residental customers. According to APNIC statistics, FPT Telecom IPv6 adoption rate reached about 30% on April, 2018 with 2.7 million IPv6 users.
The second contribution to IPv6 adoption rate in Viet Nam has been from VNPT. As APNIC statistics, IPv6 adoption rate of VNPT has increased by 8% in just a few months in 2018, with 2.4 million IPv6 users. Following FPT Telecom's lead, VNPT had deployed dual stack IPv6 networks for more than 1 million FTTH residental customers. Although VNPT IPv6 adoption rate is standing at the second place, they took the initiative in experiment on 4G LTE networks, then has become the first mobile provider in Viet Nam to provide IPv6 officially for 4G LTE customers. As deployed a dual stack architecture for their networks with the traffic over IPv6 reached 2.025.208kbit/s till May, VNPT provided IPv6 for 134,164 4G LTE subcribers.
VNPT representative talked about IPv6 deployment solution for Vinaphone mobile network
VNPT representative also shared the information that they has been doing experiment on IPv6 only architecture for their networks and will officially deploy in 2019. This achivement will make a key milestone in the IPv6 deployment in Viet Nam.
In the content area, Viet Nam has witnessed a considerable increase by 400% in Websites which are registered “.VN” domain name were enabled IPv6. FPT Online is the piooner in this field and had transitioned all their content Websites to IPv6, including VnExpress which is the most read online newspaper in Viet Nam. However, there are only few content providers which started to provide IPv6 enable content to their customers while other ones just had experiment on their networks.
Workshop and conference in Hochiminh City with the content of IPv6 deployment among goverment agencies
Following the conference in Hanoi, a workshop and a conference were held in Hochiminh City from 9 to 11 May, 2018. This 2-day workshop in Hochiminh city aims to enhance the mutual learning and understand of IPv6 transition strategies to enable government agencies to benefit from smooth deployment and best practices before actual deployment. The purpose of the conference on May 11 is to discuss about National IPv6 Action Plan and assist government agencies who are in the midst of their own deployment planning by providing guidance on the steps.
No doubt, it will take government agencies longer to plan for IPv6 adoption. By the end of 2017, there were only 27 government Websites enabled IPv6. In the MPLS government network, Department of Central Posts and Telecommunications has been continuously deploying IPv6 and collaborating with relevant ICT authorieites to provide IPv6 enable content for their websites and services. Other governemt agencies has just been having experiment on transition to IPv6 for portals and e-services. To meet the requirements of National IPv6 Action Plan in 2018, ICT authorities should make more collaborative effort and higher commitment level in ensuring that their network and infrastructure are IPv6 ready.
VNNIC and relevant agencies have been working on implementing development policies and building legal frameworks in order to promote IPv6 in Viet Nam and secure the sustainable development on portals and e-services. As a positive outcomes, the Circular 32/2017/TT-BTTTT will take effect since June 1st, 2018 to make IPv6 and DNSSEC a requirement for portals and e-services level 3 and level 4. It is expected that IPv6 adoption rate in Viet Nam will reach 20% by the end of 2018 with collaborative engangement of government agencies and private sectors.