Panama and Costa Rica Share Their Experiences with IPv6

30/05/2016

Within the framework of a panel organized during the LACNIC 25 meeting to analyze the impact of national policies on IPv6 adoption after IPv4 exhaustion, the governments of Costa Rica and Panama presented their experiences with IPv6 deployment.

Moderated by Cesar Díaz of LACNIC, the panel included Nayreth González, in representation of Panama’s National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), and Rosa Zúñiga Quesada, representing the Ministry of Science and Technology of Costa Rica.

In the case of Panama, González observed that her country officially promotes an IPv6 action plan through the creation of an IPv6 Adoption Committee which seeks to develop initiatives that will allow incorporating Internet Protocol version 6.

She revealed that 46 Panamanian agencies have been assigned IPv6 resources and that .pa domain name servers are registered to support IPv6 (IPv6 DNS).

She described how the AIG has organized theoretical and practical IPv6 workshops, trained local technicians with the help of LACNIC experts, and encouraged participation in various working groups on this protocol.

González shared that several actions have been implemented in the short term, such as including IPv6 in national ICT promotion strategies, and signing agreements for the development of IPv6 content with higher learning institutions, application (software) providers and Internet service and content providers that will allow improving user experience when using native IPv6.

González also mentioned the incorporation of the IPv6 protocol at public administration level by including the protocol as a requirement in the technical specifications of Panama’s National Multi-Service Network and promoting tax exemptions for IPv6-related purchases.

In the case of Costa Rica, Zúñiga commented that a diagnosis report on the status of IPv6 had been prepared which recognized that the issue had not been assigned the necessary priority and that there was a lack of trained technicians. She added that the government had then decided to take action to ensure the effective deployment of the IPv6 protocol.

In this sense, she described the different measures that were implemented to reverse the situation: training sessions and campaigns to build awareness on the importance of IPv6, government guidelines and public policies for the promotion of the IPv6 protocol, technical collaboration with international organizations, and almost constant monitoring of the progress of Iv6 deployment in the country.

These actions allowed training approximately 200 technicians and incorporating IPv6 support as a requirement when purchasing Information and Communication Technology products and services.

Zúñiga also noted that Costa Rica has prepared an IPv6 Implementation Plan which has only been met by 22% of government ministries, citing a lack of budget as the main obstacle it has encountered.

Nevertheless, she showed great enthusiasm because the National Telecommunications Development Plan —Costa Rica: A Connected Society— lists IPv6 adoption in public services as one of its core ideas, and added that she expects that all government agencies will be using the protocol by 2019.

According to Zúñiga, the Costa Rican experience has allowed learning a valuable lesson: IPv6 adoption requires great effort and coordination, as well as the support of senior national authorities; otherwise, it is very difficult to move forward.

To watch a recording of this panel, click on the following link: http://www.lacnic.net/web/eventos/lacnic25-agenda-lacnic