World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit crowns IPv6 adoption as Future of the Internet

The 10th annual World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit took place in China from November 8-10, 2023, with the theme “Creating an Inclusive and Resilient Digital World Beneficial to All- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace.”

Over 1,800 people were in attendance, including ministers, ambassadors, diplomatic envoys, and senior-level representatives from governments, Internet companies, international organizations, and scholars from 126 countries and regions.

The presentations and discussions that took place across the event’s 20 sub-forums addressed the “Next generation of internet” and where technologies such as IPv6, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing fit in.

“WIC aims to build a global Internet platform for extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, promote the international community to follow the trend of digitization, networking, and intelligence in the information age, work together to address security challenges for common development and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace,” shared Shine Liu of IPv6 China Council and organizer of WIC.

One of the event’s key speakers was Latif Ladid, Chairman of the Global IPv6 Forum, during which he covered China’s progress in IPv6 development and the role IPv6 will play in digital transformation across many fields.

“China is number one in the world in the deployment of IPv6 with over 763 Million IPv6 users followed by India with 421 Million,” Ladid confirmed.

“China has an IPv6 roadmap and program. Although China has over 350 Million IPv4 addresses, they have opted to modernize their networks at an early stage back in 2004 when they deployed the largest IPv6-Only network for their research network called CERNET2,” he told CoinGeek.

Ladid went on to explain the importance of CERNET2 and the role it plays as we move towards an IPv6-only internet by the end of the decade.

“We need to move to one single Internet using IPv6 only to restore the end-to-end model to allow peer-to-peer communications with the many benefits that will bring especially that of blockchain in need of massive scalability and end to end connectivity,” he said.

WIC organizers expressed their deep appreciation for Ladid’s presence and contribution to the event, regarding him as “one of the most important figures of IPv6 on a global scale.” They are inspired by his dedication and commitment to develop the future of the Internet with IPv6 adoption.

“[Latif] has made facilitative impacts on the development and deployment of IPv6 worldwide so that future generations will benefit from the Internet. His remarkable insights over the future development is the engines that drives our forum to success,” Liu told CoinGeek.

Liu described IPv6 as the “cornerstone that provides unlimited possibilities for the future of the internet” and remarked on his excitement to see more people benefit as new life-changing applications and innovations emerge.

“None of this will happen without the support of IPv6,” Liu pointed out.

“Integration and innovation of IPv6 requires joint efforts so that we can continue to make contributions. Therefore, developing and deploying IPv6 is very necessary for the world as Dr. Cerf and Latif keep saying: ‘I want you to use IPv6,’” Liu said.

For a deep dive into the New Generation of the Internet and how IPv6 and blockchain fit in, don’t miss the next CoinGeek Roundtable on February 15th, featuring Latif Ladid other experts in future tech.

Watch: IPv6 restores Internet’s end-to-end model—IPv6 Forum President Latif Ladid