v6: More Than Just Another Numbering System
Alex Ramia
Panasonic

Invented out of the necessity to communicate more efficiently. Expanded to include the greater knowledge of the world. Named the “World Wide Web.” Know affectionately as the “world wide wait.”

The WWW took off faster than any other communication technology; its global embrace is now demanded by all modern consumers. We use this medium to describe our companies’ abilities, services and hours of operation. Consumers use the medium to schedule appointments, pay bills, review medical records, play games, date, listen to music, watch movies, gather news and now pay taxes. The Web is as entrenched in our day-to-day lives as the ever present PSTN and mobile phone.

When the skin of the Web is peeled back we find a clogged network, patched routes, stray packets, kluged numbering, hijacked consumers, security holes, etc., etc. While this worked well enough for the pioneers of the technology, it falls far short of a consumer friendly, reliable network that’s as easy to us as the PSTN.

 The PSTN network went through similar growing pains when first developed. It had various methods of connections, non-standard numerating that combined names and numbers, switched and switch-less voice networks, neighborhood phones, and party lines, all trying to interoperate with varying results. Unlike the Web, the payload was not a primary a factor, just the connection. The Bells quickly realized that a standard numbering system was needed and laid the foundation for what we have today: a ten-digit number that contains the destination path within the address itself. However, the Bells failed to see the eventual global participation on the same PSTN network, the high demand for multiple numbers per office, as well as the massive SOHO market. The global adoption of mobile PSTN created a higher demand for numbers, one that is still on the rise. In the U.S. there are 251 area codes and counting!

Standards were first developed to address the fundamental of the PSTN: a successful connection to the right party. While this sounds simple today, in the 1800’s and early 1900’s this was as great a challenge as the first Web pages. All PSTN functions were manual, and subject to a varying number of problems that mimic the failures of the Web today. Underlying the need for human contributions to the routing of calls was the need for a numbering system and a standard that could be used globally. The standard for numbering was an easy standard to implement, since the PSTN was a basic monopoly controlled by Ma Bell. With the advent of the new numbering system, more phone lines were sold, more capacity was built and more revenue generated as new custom features were developed and sold to the consumer, such as Caller ID, Centrex phone systems for small business, three-way calling, answering systems, 911 and more. The technological achievements are directly attributed to the numbering system developed by the Bells.

The Web is in need of this same technological leap. The basic structure of the Web is the ability to route payloads of data from a source to destination with a guarantee of delivery.
This routing 20-25 years ago was accomplished with an addressing system that was 4 billion strong. The probability (at the time) of using that many addresses was so far- fetched that no one believed it would ever happen. IP addresses were allocated and major companies jumped on the numbers with little understanding of their use and limited availability. Addresses were handed out in large sequences, to the detriment of the consumer. The same companies still control these IP addresses -- addresses that will probably never be used.  

Then came the invention of NAT (Network Address Translation), a band-aid to help address the sudden Web growth with the birth of HTML. The Web population exploded. Servers sprouted and consumer services started all over the world. NAT became the “modus operandi” of all consumer networks and most corporate sites.

Services were designed around the one-way NAT and a client service Web sprung to life.
The Web we see today is primarily a client service environment, where only limited members can contribute to the overall content. ISPs and server farms control the content, and large industries, governments and corporations control the majority of the sites. The Web is becoming a closed network of client servers with little stomach for peering connections and personal sharing of information.

To achieve the bench mark defined by the PSTN network, the Web has to migrate from the party line (NAT) and develop its own unique numbering system. With this numerical move, new services can evolve that will expand global economics, create new revenue streams, improve existing service offerings, give birth to new economic models and provide the foundation for the additional expansion of the Web.

The social benefits will be similar to what was derived from the PSTN numbering systems. Lifesaving service such as 911 or the ability to contact your doctor directly will be greatly enhanced with the smarter Web. The overall quality of life will rise and essential services will be extended to the most remote locations. Education will no longer be limited to the local talent at hand. Global technology and medicine will improve overall.

The past improvements in our numbering system provided many advantages, but with the implementation of IPv6 the potential benefits are boundless.

I am looking forward to my own numbers with bated breath.