IPv6 Roadshow Highlights Issues and Opportunities for Government and Enterprise Network Operators in the Middle East
Dubai, 4 April 2012 – The first in a series of new workshops focusing on supporting government and enterprise network operators in the Middle East was held last week from 25 - 29 March and was hosted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). A joint initiative of the Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG), the RIPE NCC and APNIC, the IPv6 Roadshow provides an innovative five-day program, giving operators from the region hands-on experience in deploying, routing and securing IPv6 networks.
“Exhaustion of the IPv4 address pool is quickly approaching - it is time for network operators to embrace IPv6 as the future of the Internet. The IPv6 Roadshow is designed to provide hands-on assistance and expert advice to operators throughout the Middle East,” said Paul Rendek, Director of External Relations, RIPE NCC. “We've seen an enthusiastic response from government and network operators to the workshops offered in Dubai last week, and we look forward to moving forward with this initiative in Riyadh and Beirut in May 2012.”
Covering IPv6 transition mechanisms, routing, addressing and security issues, the IPv6 Roadshow also includes important modules on IPv6 monitoring, access, servers and applications.
“What was so valuable about the five-day workshops was the chance for operators from the region to explain the details of their specific network situations and receive specific advice from international IPv6 experts,” said Suleman M. Bakhsh, Senior ICT Analyst, TRA. “The discussion was very interactive, which enabled local attendees to come away with detailed knowledge relevant to their unique situation.”
Previous IPv6 Roadshow events have been held throughout the region since 2010 and have taken place in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. The next IPv6 Roadshows are scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 13-15 May 2012 and in Beirut, Lebanon, from 21-25 May 2012.
More information about the IPv6 Roadshow, including schedules, agendas and requirements for potential hosts, is available at:
http://www.menog.net/IPv6-roadshow
With the success of the IPv6 roadshow in the Middle East, the RIPE NCC has plans to expand the initiative into Russia and the Ukraine, in cooperation with the Eurasian Network Operators Group (ENOG).
About the RIPE NCC
Founded in 1992, the RIPE NCC is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet. The most prominent activity of the RIPE NCC is to act as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) providing global Internet resources and related services to a current membership base of more than 8,000 members in over 75 countries. These members consist mainly of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunication organisations and large corporations located in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia.
The RIPE NCC performs a range of critical functions including the allocation of Internet number resources, the storage and maintenance of this registration data and the provision of an open, publicly accessible database where this data can be accessed.
The RIPE NCC also provides a range of technical and coordination services for the Internet community including the operation of K-root (one of the 13 root name servers).
About APNIC
APNIC is an open, membership-based, not-for-profit organization. It is one of five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) charged with ensuring the fair distribution and responsible management of IP addresses and related resources. These resources are required for the stable and reliable operation of the global Internet.
As part of this service, the APNIC Secretariat is responsible for maintaining the public APNIC Whois Database and managing reverse DNS zone delegations.
APNIC is also actively involved in the development of Internet infrastructure throughout the region. This includes providing training and education services, supporting technical activities such as root server deployments, and collaborating with other regional and international organizations.
About The Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG)
MENOG is the regional forum offering network engineers and other technical staff the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences, and identify areas for regional cooperation.
Media Contact
Alex Bishop at Racepoint Group UK
Tel: +44(0)2088 112 474
Email: ripencc@racepointgroup.com