Sprint readies for IPv6, federal mandate or not

The Federal government agency mandate to run IPv6 by the summer of 2008 is now approaching, and Sprint at least is planning to be ready in case the government actually goes through with what it has mandates, far from a sure thing. IPv6 is a new version of IP that has considerably more address space, enough to address all the devices on the Internet and PSTN with room to spare. The problem is that it requires changes in the network and user equipment to use. It is expected that it will roll out commercially in a gradual way, and that IPv6 may not be really used universally on the Internet for a decade.