Full coverage of IPv6 may need 3-4 more years

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) — the latest communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on internet networks and routes traffic across the Internet — has become popular in reducing cybersecurity threats worldwide in recent times.

But as one of the most cybersecurity threat-prone countries, Bangladesh has become one of the countries with the lowest coverage in terms of penetration, even among the South Asian nations.

According to the latest Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data, the country had 12.5 crore internet users until November 2022. Of them, 11.34 crore are mobile internet users and 1.16 crore use the internet from ISPs and PSTNs.

But the latest data from Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Asia-Pacific region, shows that Bangladesh has managed to cover only 4.28 per cent of its total computer networks on the internet.

Across the world, 32.50 per cent of internet users have come under IPV6 technology so far. In Asia, it’s 37.27 per cent and 28.49 per cent in Southeast Asia.

APNIC, which focuses on allocation and registration of IP address space, says among other SAARC countries, Bangladesh lags in the use by a big margin when compared with India which has converted its coverage by 78.04 per cent while Sri Lanka by 49.05 per cent, Nepal by 35.10 per cent, and even Bhutan by 19.66 per cent.

Pakistan follows Bangladesh with 4.05 per cent coverage, Maldives with .06 per cent and Afghanistan with .18 per cent.

Industry people said although Bangladesh has recently taken initiatives to implement the technology, it will take another three-four years to move to the latest version, as over 80 per cent of Wi-Fi routers are still using IPv4 technology. However, these cannot be replaced overnight since importing IPv6-enabled routers has become complicated due to problems in opening LCs nowadays following the dollar crunch.

“Now is the time to go for IPv6 implementation in Bangladesh. India has done it and they did it very well. Ensuring cybersecurity will be easier once the latest internet version is available across the country,” Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar told The Business Post.

Based on the request from internet service providers, the government has taken supportive initiatives to promote the latest technology. It has also asked importers and local manufacturers of Wi-Fi routers to make them IPv6-enabled, he said.

All ISPs must also be equipped with the necessary support to ensure their customers are using the IPv6-supported version, he added.

In this regard, Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) President Md Emdadul Hoque said, “Our main problem is we [ISPs, router importers and BTRC] have started implementing IPv6 very late and that’s why we are lagging.”

“We started deploying the technology recently. We will hopefully reach a decent level in terms of other countries within one year,” he added.

Why no overnight attempt?

In February 2020, at the 49th conference of APNIC held in Australia, Bangladesh announced that its IPv6 implementation rate was 0.2 per cent.

APNIC Executive Committee Member Sumon Ahmed Sabir said that if IPv6 is implemented (use), the quality of service and internet usage will become better. This will lower the costs of both ISPs and customers. It will also be easier for law enforcement agencies to identify and locate criminals through their internet usage.

He thinks that the challenge of this sector is the device (Wi-Fi router). It is possible to rapidly increase IPv6 implementation to 50 per cent by deploying devices that support it. “ISPs can do it if they want. Consumers should also check whether a router supports IPv6 before buying it,” he added.

According to APNIC’s website, the use of IPv6 started to increase in Bangladesh after 2020. In 2022, the use of IPv6 reached the highest with 4.28 per cent penetration.

Market insiders say the country has over 60 lakh Wi-Fi routers and only 16 per cent of them are IPv6-enabled while the rest 84 per cent are still using IPv4. The main challenge ahead will be replacing the IPv4-supported routers with IPv6 ones.

They also claimed router import has fallen due to multiple reasons, including the strict imposition of LC opening, the dollar crisis and technology product price hikes.

If these reasons are not resolved soon, it may take another four years to fully implement IPv6 across Bangladesh.

ISPAB President Emdadul said, “Of the country’s 60 lakh internet routers, more than 50 lakh are IPv4 supported and less than 10 lakh are IPv6-enabled. We cannot stop using IPv4-supported routers overnight as customers won’t just blindly leave their devices behind and take the new ones supported by IPv6.

“IPv4 routers will have to be replaced with IPv6 routers gradually. This process will take another two-three years as the routers have a life span of three-four years.”

He added, “We are being equipped with all necessary support services and training, but the customers will have to be ready as well. The entire world is still deploying the technology, doing research and developments.

“If IPv6 arrives completely, cybersecurity threats will reduce, as it will be possible to identify every user. ISPs will require setting up new software services and equipment, and overall quality of services, including internet latency, will improve,” he said.

Emdadul also said, “We have requested BTRC to not allow the import of routers that do not support IPv6 in the country at this time.”

Bangladesh is one of the countries that are still using the old IPv4, which had a limit of 3 billion IP addresses. Amid the ongoing growth in the number of devices that are now connected to the internet, the upgrade to IPv6 — which can grant several trillions of unique internet addresses — has been due for a long time.

Fuad Muhammad Sharfuddin, president of the Local Broadband Network Owners Association (LBNOA), Bangladesh, said that last-mile broadband service providers remove various types of confusion and confidence in installing new technologies while providing services.

LBNOA organises various workshops every year to meet the challenges of new technologies in service delivery. In continuation of this, a daylong workshop has been organised this year to increase the confidence of the members in deploying IPv6 and remove confusion.

Telecos ahead in implementing IPv6

According to the latest BTRC data, Bangladesh had 18.1 crore mobile phone users until November 2022.

Grameenphone has the largest volume of users with 8.03 crore, followed by Robi Axiata in second place with 5.43 crore.

Banglalink has 3.95 crore subscribers and state-run operator Teletalk has 67.3 lakh.

According to APNIC statistics, which consider a 30-day average value and gradually, Grameenphone has the highest IPv6 connections — 17.73 per cent of its total internet users. Banglalink has 9 per cent, Robi 2.14 per cent and Teletalk has the lowest — .05 per cent — IPv6 connections.