Breaking News: Ruto postpones school reopening indefinitely due to flooding
July ban on phones with old web address systems
A mobile subscriber uses her phone in Nyeri town. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) will from July ban the sale of Internet-connecting devices such as mobile phones, computers, printers, and scanners that do not have the capability for the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
What you need to know:
- CA will from July ban the sale of Internet-connecting devices such as mobile phones, computers, printers, and scanners that do not have the capability for the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
- Devices that do not have IPv6 capability will be barred from clearance on the TradeNet, said the communications regulator.
- The system gives traders and all stakeholders a single access point for all external trade-related services and is accessed by the KRA, KPA and Kebs.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) will from July ban the sale of Internet-connecting devices such as mobile phones, computers, printers, and scanners that do not have the capability for the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
Devices that do not have IPv6 capability will be barred from clearance on the TradeNet, said the communications regulator.
The system gives traders and all stakeholders a single access point for all external trade-related services and is accessed by the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Port Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards, among other agencies.
The move is part of the CA’s strategy to enable Kenya’s migration from IPv4 to IPv6.
All devices that connect to the Internet have an individual and unique IP address, which identifies the device on a network enabling it to communicate with other gadgets.
However, it is estimated that IPv4 can generate IP addresses for only about 4.3 billion devices.
No limitation
But the world’s population is estimated at eight billion with some individuals owning more than one device, which means the system cannot enable everyone to have an Internet-enabled device. IPv6 has no limitation to the number of unique addresses it can generate hence the rush to enforce migration from IPv4.
The CA says Kenya Internet users risk being locked from the internet should the number of IP addresses available be exhausted before devices that are IPv6 enabled are sufficiently available in the local market.
“Should Kenya delay in the full adoption of IPv6, then serious technological challenges may befall the country’s ICT sector, including lack of access to the Internet for new devices that will not have IPv4 addresses due to exhaustion,” said the regulator.
About 99 per cent of all Internet devices globally are still using IPv4 and just one per cent have migrated to IPv6.
“All Internet connecting devices must at least contain IPv6 capability for them to be type approved for marketing and use in Kenya,” said the CA in a notice.
"All Internet connecting devices must at least have IPv6 capability for them to be cleared on the TradeNet platform for marketing and use in Kenya.”
The regulator says the new system will provide enhanced security as it supports end-to-end IP security protocols mode.
“There are many benefits that will arise from the intended migration to IPv6. This includes sufficient IP addresses, as the IPv6 will create a sufficient pool for use by persons as well as machines facilitating the Internet of Things,” said the CA.
The regulator added that IPv6 would enhance the efficient use of network bandwidth due to multicast as opposed to broadcast in the sending of data to multiple destinations.
