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The Chinese government's new directive takes aim at NAT44 translation gear in an effort to boost IPv6 adoption.
Chinese authorities are making yet another run at boosting Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) take-up, directing telcos to halt the deployment of new Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) translation kit in the next 12 months.
In a notice issued last week, the Ministry of Industry and IT (MIIT) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) told telcos and provincial comms regulators they need to accelerate the move to IPv6 – a national goal for two decades now.
In particular, the notice takes aim at NAT44 equipment, which enables a small number of IPv4 addresses to be translated into a large number of private IPv4 addresses, effectively prolonging the life of IPv4.
The operators are instructed to come up with a "network De-NAT" plan to progressively eliminate the kit from their networks. They are to permit no new NAT44 gear from July 2025.
By the end of 2024, the IPv6 connectivity rate of telcos' wireline broadband users must be no less than 80%. They must ensure at least 70% of the fixed-line portion of traffic connecting to mobile apps is IPv6.
Additionally, operators must start measuring key metrics such as fixed-line IPv6 connectivity and the level of IPv6 fixed-line traffic.
Moderate achiever
This is the latest in a series of government directives demanding the network industry speed up the buildout of IPv6 infrastructure and raise adoption levels.
China isn't the only country struggling with this. For various reasons, such as the limited compatibility between v4 and v6, and the emergence of fixes that increase IPv4's resilience, there are deterrents on migrating to the new system.
Even so it is unusual to find China, with its advanced infrastructure and keen government interest, trying to keep up with the rest of the world, although it certainly is improving.
According to one estimate, IPv6 accounted for just 0.3% of China's total traffic in 2017. Today the MIIT reports that IPv6 accounts for 64.6% of mobile network traffic. For what it's worth, the ministry also says China has 794 million IPv6 users and 1.77 billion IPv6 terminals, although these don't reveal anything about take-up.
China seems to be a moderate achiever by global standards.
In APNIC's "IPv6-capable" rankings China registers a middling score of 37%. The island state of Saint Barthélemy tops this metric with 92%, ahead of India (80%), Malaysia (73%) and Saudi Arabia (66%).
China places even lower in Google's ranking of IPv6 adoption - a humble 126th place with a 4.5% adoption rate, way behind the leaders, France (75%), Germany (74%) and India (73%). Of course, Google is scarce in China, so this may be based on a small dataset.
Telcos have until the end of the month to submit their "de-NAT" work plans to MIIT and CAC.
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