Mobile net will drain IP addresses

Mobile internet users will quickly exhaust the available internet protocol (IP) addresses, prompting wireless operators to introduce a new expanded protocol.

General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) technology gives mobile phone users an 'always on' high speed mobile connection, with each user requiring a fixed IP address to use many services. Analysts say this will put pressure on the current protocol - IPv4 - which has a capacity limited to four billion addresses.

Speaking at the GigaWorld IT Forum Europe in Switzerland, Giga analyst Bernt Ostergaard said GPRS roll out in Europe would require 160 million new IP addresses forcing network providers to have large banks of addresses on tap for fast allocation to mobile users.

Nokia plans to use the next version of the protocol - IPv6 - in its third generation network equipment. IPv6 allows for millions more IP addresses and provides other advanced functionality. But a move to IPv6 is not expected to be fully completed for eight to 10 years. In the meantime, the number of available IP addresses will dwindle.

"So many mobile services will need to identify a phone user on an IP basis that this has put pressure on the move to IPv6. The advantages of this protocol include allocating security and identifying types of messages from the user," said Ostergaard.

BT Cellnet announced earlier this month that it had launched its GPRS service for corporate customers in the UK. But Ostergaard said he expected it to take time for these services to actually be adopted by customers.

"Several companies announced last week that they had launched the 'world's first GPRS service', yet the reality is they have no customers using the service yet and no mobile phones," he said.

"There is a long way to go yet. Don't expect GPRS to be in mass market until the first or second quarter of next year," he added.