Saturation of the Internet has reached an alarming level. The number of addresses on the web is rapidly approaching the figure of 4 billion, the maximum level permitted by the current system of Ipv4 management, in force for thirty years. It is calculated that already by 2005 it will no longer be possible to create new on-line sites. To increase the availability of Internet addresses and to prevent the gridlock of the web, experts in the sector have begun work on formulating a “new generation protocol” – denominated Ipv6 able to assure the astronomical figure of one million trillions of potential connections per square metre of terrestrial surface. In view of the fact that the potential collapse of the World Wide Web would especially hit European users, the European Commission has decided to accelerate the transfer to Ipv6 by allocating funds worth 90 million euros to research and development of the new protocol. According to the Commissioner for the Information Society, Erkki Liikanen, the EU intervention is aimed in particular at “reinforcing European competitiveness and integrating Internet in the advanced technologies of the EU, such as satellite navigation systems and mobile phones of the third generation”. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1266 N.ro relativo : 6 Data pubblicazione : 29/01/2004
