Vint Cerf touts power of IPv6 to change the internet: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’

Google chief internet evangelist and internet founder Vint Cerf has said that the capabilities of the IPv6 network protocol to provide 340 trillion trillion trillion new internet addresses means the world is set to enter new era of online innovation.

Writing on a blog post discussing the World IPv6 Launch, which sees the industry promote the importance of the need to transition from the old IPv4 system - invented by Cerf in 1983 - the Google chief said moving to IPv6 was a vital next step in the internet's growth.

"The internet we've relied on so far has space for 2^32 addresses - about 4.3 billion. The new, larger IPv6 expands the limit to 2^128 addresses - more than 340 trillion, trillion, trillion," he said.

"[This is] enough for essentially unlimited growth for the foreseeable future. Without the rollout of IPv6, which formally begins today for participating websites and other organisations on the web, we won't have the room we need to grow."

"Today we launch the 21st century internet: you ain't seen nothin' yet."

Cerf has previously warned that the switch to the IPv6 would herald one of the "most tumultuous periods" of the internet's growth since its inception in 1983.

Businesses are also being encouraged to ensure they prepare for the switch to the new protocol with internet minister Ed Vaizey last year urging UK firms to gain a competitive market advantage by being the first to make the switch.