Malta to migrate to new internet protocol

A multi-disciplinary task force has been set up to determine the right strategy for a nationwide migration to internet protocol version six.

Clara Delia, technical specialist at the Malta Communications Authority, said the task force shall identify key initiatives for the implementation of IPv6 in and possible issues related with migration.

It will increase the level of awareness of IPv6, facilitate the translation to it and develop and deploy a national IPv6 test-bed.

The task force will position itself as a centre of excellence, giving out technical information and maintaining connections with similar groups in other jurisdictions.

Its goal is to ensure that Malta remains at the forefront of best practice during the changeover to the next generation of internet protocol.

Internet protocol is the language of the internet, understood by the millions of devices that are connected to it.

Currently, IPv4 is in use here as in most of the rest of the world.

This system, although formidable, is becoming more limited because of the number of devices continuously being added to it.

The IPv6 was agreed upon in the late 1990s and since then plans have been formulated to migrate the internet from version four to six.

Communications Minister Censu Galea and IT Minister Austin Gatt said that it was important that Malta, one of the most advanced EU countries in telecommunications and the internet, remained at the forefront.

Mr Galea said that from just a few hundred subscriptions in 1995 there were now more than 80,000 internet users, more than half using broadband.

Dr Gatt said that Malta can only keep attracting foreign investment if it kept advancing technologically. Last year, he said, Malta placed sixth of the EU25 in attracting foreign investment.

Before the task force was launched, an IPv6 consultation document was issued.

Project coordinator Adrian Scicluna said most organisations agreed that a switch to IPv6 was inevitable and a proactive approach was preferable.