6 June 2012 – Thousands of companies and millions of websites around the world are permanently deploying the next generation Internet Protocol, IPv6, ensuring the Internet remains open and accessible for the future. World IPv6 Launch, organized by the Internet Society, begins today and is supported by the Number Resource Organization (NRO) and the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) who have long played a vital role in raising awareness about supporting the global deployment of IPv6. Many parts of the world are increasing broadband penetration, more smart phones and network-ready devices are entering the market, and the sheer number of Internet users is steadily increasing – all of which raises IP address consumption. With IPv4 becoming scarce, the need for IPv6 deployment grows daily. “World IPv6 Launch is a permanent step forward to ensure the Internet can connect all the people in the world, for many years to come,” said Leslie Daigle, Chief Internet Technology Officer for the Internet Society. “The Internet Society, NRO, and RIRs are strong advocates for the importance of IPv6 and its impact on the Internet's future growth.” John Curran, Chairman of the NRO stated, “As the world moves to IPv6 in order to maintain the truly ubiquitous Internet, the Regional Internet Registries and their membership, which includes Internet Service Providers, Telecommunications companies, and other organizations around the globe, are focused on deployment of IPv6. To those who see the World IPv6 Launch as your opportunity to get 'IPv6-enabled', regardless of what industry you are in, please take this opportunity to see what educational resources are available to you through your local Regional Internet Registry.” The NRO represents the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), which are collectively part of the proven and successful multistakeholder approach to managing global Internet resources, such as IP addresses. As members of the Internet technical community, the RIRs play a key role in raising awareness and preparing the Internet’s technical infrastructure for large-scale IPv6 deployment. The RIRs work closely with their communities to educate, promote, and share information relating to IPv6. To learn more about ongoing efforts in each RIR region, visit the following websites: AFRINIC’s IPv6 Virtual Lab: www.afrinic.net/projects/cvl.htm; IPv6 Resource Center: www.afrinic.net/index.php/en/ipv6-portal APNIC’s IPv6 Program: www.apnic.net/ipv6 ARIN’s IPv6 Wiki: www.getipv6.info LACNIC’s IPv6 Information Center: portalipv6.lacnic.net/en RIPE NCC’s IPv6 Act Now: www.ipv6actnow.org About the Internet Society The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org. About the Number Resource Organization (NRO) The Number Resource Organization (NRO) is the coordinating mechanism for the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The RIRs – AFRINIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, and the RIPE NCC – ensure the fair and equitable distribution of Internet number resources (IPv6, IPv4 addresses and Autonomous System (AS) numbers) in their respective regions. The NRO exists to protect the unallocated Internet number resource pool, foster open and consensus-based policy development, and provide a single point of contact for communication with the RIRs. Learn more about the NRO at www.nro.net. Contacts: Internet Society Email: media@isoc.org Number Resource Organization Email: media@nro.net