GSA becomes first civilian agency to implement IPv6

According to a release from Level 3 Communications, this week GSA became the first civilian agency to comply with OMB’s mandate to implement IPv6, the next generation of the Internet.

Agencies were required to have the infrastructure in place to accommodate IPv6 by June 30.

Edward Morche, general manager of Level 3’s Federal segment, said the company was “pleased to build on its relationship with GSA and to help the agency transition to the next generation of technology.” He told NextGov that GSA thought it important that the agency show leadership in this area by being the first to embrace the new technology.

"GSA successfully completed all core network testing to ensure IPv6 compliance as called for in the Federal CIO Council IPv6 Demonstration Plan," GSA said in an email statement to NextGov.

IPv6 offers several benefits over existing IPv4 networks, foremost among them are the increased number of IP addresses available. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, meaning it can offer about 4.3 billion addresses total. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, so it can offer an almost unlimited number of addresses, allowing them to be assigned to all sorts of devices, from cell phones and cars to toasters and refrigerators. The upgrade could be the first step toward finally achieving fully networked functionality among all electronic devices.

GSA’s deployment likely means that the agency will be leading the charge in pushing other agencies to embrace the new platform. While the demand for IPv6 technologies is still almost nonexistent, that could change quickly as more and more developers learn how to take advantage of the new features and enhanced security automation. Along with the Trusted Internet Connection initiative, it’s one more issue to keep an eye on as the federal government tries to regain its place at the forefront of innovation on the Internet.