The Internet is Running Out of Space

This isn’t exactly a new story but one of the more succinct articles on the issue.  The Internet is running out of IP addresses.  Actually this is kind of an issue considering how many companies run SaaS based businesses or at least have an Internet address not to mention the sheer volume of business done over the internet from booking your flight to buying a TV.  I can’t imagine having to actually call Southwest.  

Here’s what how it works and what happens. 

“Every computer and online device is assigned a unique IP address, but the pool of unallocated numbers is about to dry up. “This is like the Internet running out of telephone numbers and with no new numbers, you can’t have more subscribers.” When Mr Cerf and others founded the Internet system in 1977, he set in place “Internet protocol version four” (IPv4) which provided 4.2 billion addresses. With the number of Internet-enabled devices, particularly mobile phones, soaring, less than 14 per cent of those addresses remain vacant.  It is estimated that IPv4 addresses, each of which is a series of 32 binary digits, will run out in 2010 and possibly as early as next year.”

What are we doing about it?

“When Mr Cerf and others founded the internet system in 1977, he set in place “internet protocol version four” (IPv4) which provided 4.2 billion addresses. With the number of internet-enabled devices, particularly mobile phones, soaring, less than 14 per cent of those addresses remain vacant. It is estimated that IPv4 addresses, each of which is a series of 32 binary digits, will run out in 2010 and possibly as early as next year.  A new system, called IPv6, has been ready for implementation for more than a decade. Under IPv6, each address has 128 bits and so provides 340 trillion, trillion, trillion different addresses – that is 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It is assumed that this will meet humanity’s needs for decades to come.”

Where are we now?

“A new system, called IPv6, has been ready for implementation for more than a decade.  Under IPv6, each address has 128 bits and so provides 340 trillion, trillion, trillion different addresses – that is 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It is assumed that this will meet humanity’s needs for decades to come.” 

Thank god we thought ahead about something. Recently I feel like we live in Hillary’s “Village” full of idiots.