Minutes of the Luxembourg IPv6 Task Force meeting

Present:

Apologies :

Welcome address

The meeting is chaired by Patrick Vande Walle.

Presentation of the participants

It appears that most participants are currently still evaluating the potential and the issues surrounding IPv6 for their business. Some do already have IPv6 on their networks running abroad but not the Benelux yet.

The academic network, Restena, is involved in the European 6Net project. This has allowed them to gain some hands-on experience with IPv6 that they are willing to share. The Institut Supérieur de Technologie also has a lab under the direction of Mr Duhautpas where demos and training could be given.
Restena also runs the LIX (Luxembourg Internet Exchange) and is willing open the exchange for IPv6 and to peer through BGP4+ with interested ISPs.
Restena also runs the .lu ccTLD DNS server. It could be operational in a short time to serve IPv6 requests.

An issue was raised about the potential risks for privacy with IPv6. Several participants pointed out that this risk is already present with IPv4 to an extend. Other point-to-point communcation systems have been in use for decades and could effectively address the issue of privacy. The telephone system was cited as an example. It seems reasonable to expect both equipment manufacturers and network operators to point of the risk, while at the same time offering an adequate solution.
Moreover, some participants consider the the privacy issue should be addressed at the application level, and not at the protocol level.

Task Force Luxembourg : organisation

The informal structure currently set up seems appropriate for the target goal. There is no need formalise the structure or the status of the TF at this stage.

Action plan

• Awareness-raising on the impacts of lPv6 on technical, policy and social environment
  • Participants are being asked to talk about the potential of IPv6 with their customers.
• Information dissemination (Web site, mailing lists, etc.)
  • The Luxembourg IPv6 Task force has a web site at http://ipv6.isoc.lu. All TF participants are requested to comments and suggest/provide new material for the site.
• Education and training (seminars, workshops, …)
  • As mentioned previously, the TF will see if the knowledge being acquired by Restena and IST can be transferred to the other participants staff.
  • Furthermore, the Chair will contact Cisco to evaluate the possibility to organise training sessions about IPv6 in Luxembourg.
• Demonstrations:
  • Users do not care so much about the underlying architecture. They purchase services. We still lack 'killer' applications which could be IPv6 only.
  • Restena is offering the use of its IPv6 Multicast platform for test by other operators.
  • ISOC mentions that the Internet fiesta in March 2003 could be an occasion for demonstrating the potential of IPv6.

Practical aspects

• The meeting chair will submit the draft minutes to the mailing list for approval. All participants agreed to be mentioned in public documents emanating from the Task Force.
• Press : Altough no direct invitation had been sent out to the press, there has been considerable interest anyway. IT-Solutions has offered a 5000 signs article for the December 2002 issue. Luxembourg Business magazine could not attend the meeting but is makin a similar offer. The New Media oberservatory was represented by Jean Larock. The chair will send out a short press release and write an article for IT Solutions to be submitted to the participants.
• Mailing-list: there is a closed mailing-list running on the isoc.lu site, to which all TF members are subscribed. The list address for posting is ipv6tf@isoc.lu. Should the participants wish to add a member, please send a request to patrick@isoc.lu.

Next meeting

The next meeting is set to Friday 7th Feb. 2003 at the European Commission, Euroforum Building