14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, the major groups handling the inner-workings of the internet have announced that the final unassigned IPv4 address blocks have been handed over to the five regional internet registries (RIR). This marks the official, albeit symbolic, end of IPv4 and the groups focused more on the future, IPv6, rather than dwindling in the past.
In fact, the whole purpose of the ceremony earlier today was to highlight the fact that IPv4 addresses have run out and that IPv6 adoption is still nowhere near where it should be.
"The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority has just announced the long-expected final allocation of IPv4 addresses to the Regional Internet Registries," the Internet Society writes in a statement.
"This begins the final chapter in the history of IPv4, as each of the five regions of the world have their final blocks of addresses to allocate for use in new network developments," it adds.
In total, under 100 million IPv4 addresses were allocated today. This may seem like a lot, but some parts of the world are going through addresses at a huge pace.
In the most demanding regions, the addresses assigned today would only last a few months. The Asia region went through 24 million addresses in the last month alone.
Europe and North America are faring a little better, they should have enough for the year. Finally, Africa and Latin America have nothing to worry about for a few more years. But there's no going around the fact that the switch to IPv6 can't be delayed for much longer.
"As the next stage of the Internet’s ongoing evolution begins, Internet Society applauds the efforts of early adopters and promoters of IPv6. Major Internet content providers have made their websites IPv6 accessible. Network providers around the world already have implemented, trialed, or announced IPv6 deployment plans," ISOC optimistically writes.