80% of IP resources used up in China

China's IP resources can only sustain 830 days at current distribution rate, and new internet users could have difficulty visiting the internet if no measures were adopted, sources from the seminar of IP resources of 2008 held by China Internet Network Information Center revealed.

Li Kai, the director of IP team of CNNIC's international department, explained that every Internet user needs an IP to visit the internet, and most of China's Internet users are using IPs from IPv4. But 80% of resources from IPv4 are used up.

Recently, China's IP application has surpassed Japan and taken the No.2 position of the world. If no new resources for IP address are available by 2010, new internet users might not visit the internet.

He also introduced that the United States has developed the IPv6 network address, which features unlimited resources, but only edu.cn in China use this kind of IP. Using IPv6 means internet operators have to invest large mount of money to buy new equipment and discard the old ones. "We held seminars almost everywhere just want to tell operators to apply for the left IP addresses as soon as possible and also to prepare the new IP addresses from IPv6 for Internet users," Li added.

By People's Daily Online