ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed telecom operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to upgrade their internet protocols to IPv6 technology.

“The instructions have been issued with a focus on innovation and digitalisation, as IPv6 technology was the latest version of internet protocol (IP),” the PTA has said.

However, the telecom sector regulator has not set any deadline for shifting to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), which is used to identify devices on a network and route traffic between them.

IPv6 is an upgradation from the existing version of the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4), but the new version has enhanced internet layer protocol and provides end-to-end datagram transmission across multiple IP networks.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2023