China Requires New Wi-Fi Equipment to Support IPV6 Protocol
China has issued a decree stating that all new Wi-Fi equipment sold and used in the country must support the IPV6 protocol and have it turned on by default from the first use, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologies (MIIT). The ministry, on Friday, announced that the production or import of wireless local network equipment with a function of distributing public IP addresses in China must comply with this requirement.
The decree also mandates that IPV6 wireless local network devices should support and include the default IPV6 address distribution function. Users must also have the ability to configure the IPV6 address distribution function themselves, and this configuration method should be stated in the product description.
The MIIT further stated that all testing institutions for local networks should have the capability to check IPV6 compatibility. Additionally, major telecommunications operators are encouraged to support and promote the use of IPV6 wireless local network devices among users. However, users should still be able to access the internet using the old IPV4 protocol.
These efforts aim to accelerate the development and widespread use of IPV6 and contribute to the construction of a network power in China. The requirements will come into effect on December 1, 2023. Equipment without IPV6 support that was sold before this date can still be used until it is disposed of.
According to the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), only 31.5% of Chinese internet users can currently receive content via IPV6, which is significantly lower than India (over 78%) and Malaysia (almost 68%). This move by China is aimed at promoting the adoption of IPV6 within the country and shaping the future of the protocol.
In April 2023, Beijing set a goal to have 750 million users and 300 million internet devices