Future Internet begins to take shape
By Li Weitao (China Daily) Updated: 2006-09-25 08:57
China has made a major step forward in Internet technology, which could offer
faster, more secure access and ease worries over network capacity, industry
insiders said this weekend.
An expert panel composed of top scientists
and researchers, entrusted by the National Development and Research Commission
(NDRC), on Saturday gave an acceptance certificate to an academic network called
CERNET2 (China Education and Research Network 2), which connects 25 universities
in 20 cities across the country.
CERNET2 is at the forefront of the
development of the "China next generation Internet" (CNGI), the world's largest
single Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) network.
IPv6 exponentially
increases the number of possible Internet protocol (IP) addresses available for
connecting PCs and other devices to the Internet.
Under the current IPv4
system controlled by the United States, there are mounting fears that the
Internet address pool could run dry, especially in Asia, as more and more people
connect to the Internet.
The new technologies that will support the IPv6
system will also offer consumers faster and more secure access, the experts
said.
Wu Hequan, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
and vice-director of the expert panel, said the certification shows China is
ahead of the game in building the next generation of the Internet.
"We
have made some major breakthroughs in core technologies in CERNET2. The CNGI is
now a world-leading Internet network," Wu said in an interview with China
Daily.
Japan and South Korea are researching IPv6, and the US Department
of Defense is also working on a similar network, though details are not
known.
In August 2003, the State Council approved a plan submitted by
eight ministries to construct the CNGI.
China has high expectations for
the CNGI, which has become a centrepiece of the country's plans to cut reliance
on foreign companies for core technologies.
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