Future Internet begins to take shape

By Li Weitao (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-25 08:57

The increasing momentum behind the CNGI will help domestic equipment manufacturers become more competitive, according to Wu.

The market for IPv4-based Internet network equipment, such as core routers, is dominated by foreign firms such as Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks.

CERNET2, as part of the CNGI, became operational in December 2004. Five Chinese telecoms operators, including China Telecom and China Mobile, are building national IPv6 networks.

Industry insiders said major operators such as China Mobile are expected to launch their IPv6 trial networks before the end of the year.

Domestic companies were selected to provide 80 per cent of the routers used in the CERNET2.

"CNGI has given domestic players a chance to prove their competence and test maturity of their equipment," said Wu.

Last year, 25 domestic research institutions and leading companies including Lenovo, BOE and China Netcom formed an industrial alliance to facilitate the commercialization of IPv6 technologies.

Yet, the commercialization of the next generation Internet (NGI) might take years, as CERNET2 is focused mainly on academic research.

Wu Jianping, a professor with Tsinghua University and director of the expert committee of CERNET2, expected IPv6 to gain significant global traction around 2010.

"IPv6 and IPv4 will co-exist for a long time," Wu told China Daily.

"There is huge potential for us to develop more exciting applications," he added.

China had 123 million Internet users by the end of June this year, boasting the second largest Internet population after the United States.

The number of broadband users reached 77 million and there are 788,000 websites in the country, statistics show.