RETN Unveils Initiative to Drive Global IPv6 Adoption

·      RETN launches 12 months free IPv6 for wholesale and enterprise businesses

·      Aims to encourage global acceleration of IPv6 adoption

·      Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 will create a more robust, secure, and scalable internet

London – February 28, 2024 - In a significant stride towards the future of internet connectivity, RETN, a leading international network services provider announces an ambitious 12-month initiative to bolster the transition to IPv6, the next-generation internet protocol. This initiative comes at a critical time as the internet community faces the need for a more scalable, secure, and efficient networking infrastructure.

RETN's initiative, aimed at encouraging IPv6 adoption, offers an unparalleled incentive: for every IP Transit service purchased, RETN will match the customer's committed data rate with an equivalent IPv6 traffic capacity at no additional cost until March 31^st 2025. This effort is designed to mitigate the financial and operational barriers associated with IPv6 transition, thereby accelerating global adoption rates.

The Urgent Need for IPv6 Rapid Adoption

The internet is facing a critical juncture with the depletion of IPv4 addresses, making the transition to IPv6 beneficial, essential for the continued growth and sustainability of online services and long overdue, the protocol having been ratified by the IETF in 1995. IPv6 addresses the limitations of its predecessor by providing a vastly expanded address space, enhanced security features, and improved efficiency in routing and network auto-configuration. These advancements are crucial for supporting the burgeoning number of devices connecting to the internet, the expansion of IoT (Internet of Things), and the development of new, innovative online services.

Addressing IPv6 Adoption Challenges

Economic and innovation drivers are significant motivators for IPv6 adoption, with national infrastructures that embrace IPv6 poised to better support economic opportunities and innovation in critical areas such as IoT and smart infrastructure. However, the transition requires concerted efforts to expand the base of IPv6 users and address the perceived lack of immediate need due to temporary workarounds like Network Address Translation (NAT).

RETN reports a 40% IPv6 adoption rate among its customer base, closely aligning with Google's observation of 41.72% among its users as of February 19th, 2024, according to Google's IPv6 adoption statistics (https://www.google.com/intl/en/ipv6/statistics.html#tab=ipv6-adoption).

Strategic Approaches to IPv6 Adoption

Adopting IPv6 involves strategic considerations, including addressing private and public interoperability with IPv6 networks. Organisations are driven by various factors, including regulatory mandates and the need to cater to IPv6-only clients, particularly in the mobile and IoT sectors. RETN is poised to support these strategic needs by facilitating IPv6 adoption through its innovative matching initiative.

Despite the clear advantages of IPv6, such as enhanced efficiency, security, and performance, the transition to date has been slower than anticipated. RETN's initiative aims to alleviate these concerns by providing a cost-effective pathway to IPv6 adoption.

Joining Hands for the Good of the Internet

“RETN recognises the importance of IPv6 in ensuring the internet remains unrestricted, accessible, and capable of supporting future technological innovations. By offering IPv6 transit free of charge alongside IPv4 purchases, RETN is not only easing the transition for customers but also contributing to the global effort to adopt IPv6. This initiative reflects RETN's dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions and our commitment to the long-term success and resilience of the internet.” Tony O’Sullivan, CEO of RETN.

RETN invites businesses, content providers, and network operators to join this initiative and take a pivotal step towards adopting IPv6. By reducing the barriers to IPv6 adoption, RETN is not only facilitating its customers' growth but also contributing to the global effort towards a more robust, secure, and scalable internet.

For more information on how to participate in RETN's IPv6 adoption initiative, please email market@retn.net.

About RETN

RETN is one of the fastest growing independent Eurasian network services providers, with unique resources to connect Europe and Asia. In 2023 RETN was awarded the ‘Best Pan-European Carrier’ title, at the prestigious Global Carrier Awards. Offering a wide range of connectivity services, such as IP transit, Ethernet & VPN, Capacity, Remote peering to major IXPs, Colocation and Cloud Connect, RETN’s network runs on leading equipment vendors such as Infinera, Juniper and Ciena.

RETN’s unique solution to connect Europe and Asia is built on its own homogenous DWDM and IP/MPLS Network Platform and widely branched land routes, passing through Western Europe, Eastern Europe and up to the border with China and further onwards into Southeast Asia.

RETN provides telecommunication services throughout its Eurasian network with short lead times, industry leading uptimes, and multiple layers of redundancy.

For more information on RETN and its services, please visit the company's website at www.retn.net 

For press enquiries, please contact pr@retn.net