Abstract: As Internet usages are proliferating, communications networks are faced with new shortcomings. Future networks will have to support in 2020 mobile traffic volumes 1000 times larger than today and a spectrum crunch is anticipated. Wireless access rates are today significantly lower than those of fixed access, which prevents the emergence of ubiquitous low cost integrated access continuum with context independent operational characteristics. Communication networks energy consumption is growing rapidly, especially in the radio part of mobile networks. The proliferation of connected devices makes it very difficult to maintain similar performance characteristics over an ever larger portfolio of technologies and requirements (i.e.Ultra High Definition TV vs. M2M, IoT). Heterogeneity of access technologies entails unsustainable cost with increasing difficulties to integrate an ever larger set of resources with reduced OPEX. Network infrastructure openness is still limited. It prevents the emergence of integrated OTT (cloud)-network integration with predictable end to end performance characteristics, and limits the possibility for networks to become programmable infrastructures for innovation with functionalities exposed to developers' communities.

These key issues for the competitiveness of the communication industry world-wide are and will be globally researched in the context of future 5G integrated, ubiquitous and ultra-high capacity networks.

The challenge is to support an anticipated 1000 fold mobile traffic increase over a decade and to efficiently support very different classes of traffic/services. Actions may address the following topics:

- Network architecture, protocols and radio technologies capable of at least a ten times increase in frequency reuse, making possible low cost spectrum exploitation including for new frequency ranges above 3,6 GHz. It covers real time and flexible radio resource allocation as a function of traffic/user distribution with possibility to guarantee and differentiate/prioritize quality of service. The work takes into account novel requirements from cloud networking, from a multiplicity/diversity of connected devices and services to be served and content delivery/cell broadcast/caching requirements. Reduction of energy consumption, significant bandwidth increase in current mobile bands and end-to-end latency are key drivers.

All IP and Data explosion drive the technology innovation moving forward. SDN and NFV address the data explosion challenge whereas IOT (Internet of Things) needs IPv6. If SDN and NFV are implemented with IPV6 it paves the path for the future.

Capex/Opex, scalability and security are the factors for SDN and NFV adoption. A new data explosion area is IoT and that will tie into IPv6 sooner than later. Security is more integrated into IPv6 compared to IPv6. Deploying a new technology should be long term and IPv6 addresses that requirement.

Vendor unlock is a driver for SDN and NFV and data center's will deploy multi vendor platforms and in this scenario, interoperability and interacting with Open source is platforms becomes essential. IPv6 will definitely play a part in the mix and a targeted solution for Data center better design that as 'now' in mind than 'new’.

Most of the surveys indicate that security concerns are the biggest challenge in Operator minds. It is a given that IPv6 is built in with security. So a nextgen solution should better start with IPv6 rather than as an afterthought.

An aspect of SDN and NFV implementation is programmable networks. Operators need to work more with APIs compared to legacy days. Programming paradigm shifts radically within IPv6. When you deploy a new network, the idea is not to patch it every now and then. Long term and next gen is IPv6 here. While IPv6 adoption is quietly picking up steam, in the Cloud world, we can clearly see OpenStack gaining more and QOS and Performance management are tied to programmability in scaling and SDN and NFV address it. Operational complexity will be slightly more and new policies (ex. SUPA) will emerge. IPv6 capabilities will be inherent to some of these policies.

This session will be devoted to analyze the transformative impact of IPv6 on IoT, SDN-NFV, Cloud Computing, Big Data and on 5G and its advanced features, presenting the challenges and solutions being considered in the context of several deployment scenarios or pre-standardization around the world.

Biography:
- Founder & President, IPv6 FORUM (www.ipv6forum.com) - Chair, 5G World Alliance (http://www.5gworldalliance.org/ )
- Chair, IEEE COMSOC IoT subCommittee (http://committees.comsoc.org/IoT)
- Chair, IEEE COMSOC 5G subCommit http://committees.comsoc.org/5gmwi
- Chair, ETSI IPv6 ISG (icl. 5G) (http://portal.etsi.org/tb.aspx?tbid=827&SubTB=827 )
- Co-Chair, IEEE COMSOC SDN-NFV subCommittee
- Emeritus Trustee, Internet Society - ISOC (www.isoc.org)
- IPv6 Ready Logo Program Board (www.ipv6ready.org)
- Research Fellow @ SnT - University of Luxembourg on multiple European Commission Next Generation Technologies IST Projects
- Member of 3GPP PCG (Board) (www.3gpp.org)
- Member of 3GPP2 PCG (www.3gpp2.org)
- Member of UN Strategy Council GAID
- Member of the Future Internet Forum for Member States
- http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/foi/lead/fif/index_en.htm
- Board member of WSA http://www.wsis-award.org/index.wbp
- Co-Founder of ETSI AFI ISG