IPv6 is ready, IPv6 is being deployed. This presentation gives an update on how to use IPv6 in mobile and cellular networks. This provides an update on IPv6 usage in mobile networks. It gives recommendations on what areas are under development and references documents for more details.

1. Advances in IPv6
in Mobile
John Loughney, Nokia
john.loughney@nokia.com
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2. Motivations
• 5.3 billion mobile subscribers, ITU-T figures for 2010.
• Large percentage are IP capable
−Trend toward Always-On applications (details next slide)
• LTE is happening now, will be soon doing voice over IP only.
• Operators run both a circuit switched and IP networks,
causing higher CAPEX and OPEX.
• In the future, services will migrate to IP.
• Carrier grade NATs are a misnomer.
• So the choice is between
−IPv4 with NAT frequent keep-alives & additional investments
−IPv6 and long lived connections
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3. Major IPv4 address pools are empty
IPv6
• Internet Assigned Numbers • Huge address space for the
Authority ran out of IPv4 Internet growth
address blocks on • Enables internet access for “the
3rd February 2011 Next Billion” people
• Improved solution for the whole
• APNIC ran out on value chain
15th April 2011
• Other RIRs are following • IPv6 is the only solution for
• IPv4 usage getting complex and the IPv4 exhaustion
increasingly expensive
• IPv4 address purchases are No more crying for wolf, it’s here
costly, approx $11 apiece already
Company Confidential. ©2011 Nokia
IPv4
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4. NATs with keep alive messages
• IPv4 Mobile Devices are usually behind IPv4 NATs
−Always on application are becoming more prevalent
−Applications that want to be reachable need to send
periodic keep-alives to keep NAT state active
− Current NATs require keep-alives from 40 seconds to 5 minutes
− Need to implement for minimum (~30 seconds)
• Sending of NAT periodic keep-alive messages decreases mobile
device standby time by several days
• Not a problem for devices with power cords, but for mobile devices it
is a big problem
There should be NO The UDP inactivity timer in NATs causes the public
Client, Private
IPv4 address 1
NATs between the UDP port 6538 to be assigned to a different
terminal and the mobile, if the mobile does not send any data within
server! a certain amount of time, about every 40 seconds
…
Client, Private
IPv4 address 2 UDP port = 6538 Server, Public IPv4 address 3
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5. Key apps and services
Peer-to-peer apps and service
• Gaming
• Content transfer
Server-driven apps
All apps and
• Streaming
• IP TV, video-on-demand services that want
• Cloud apps and services ‘uncomplicated’
connectivity
Apps requiring long-time sessions
• Voice, video, VoIP, etc
• Hybrid apps
LTE is a data only solution,
no circuit switched voice and
messaging.
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6. Deployment approaches
Dual-stack approach is the most
customer-friendly solution for
transitioning to IPv6
Dual-stack is also the standard
approach (3GPP) and appears to be
the most favored approach
IPv6-only transition solution based on
protocol translation can cause service
discontinuity, and is only an option for
specific cases due to discrete reasons
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7. Details of dual-stack
3GPP release-8 introduced a new bearer
type: IPv4v6
IPv4 and IPv6 bearers can be used in
parallel when IPv4v6 is not supported
(since 3GPP release-99)
Various fallback scenarios are involved
that are not present with IPv4-only
devices, e.g. IPv4v6 -> IPv4 & IPv6
References: 3GPP release-8 23.060, 23.401
7 draft-ietf-v6ops-3gpp-eps
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8. IPv6 impacts at all levels
Services & Content Google, YouTube, Akamai, Facebook, Bing, ...
Browsers, E-mail, IM, VoIP, Games, Utilities,
Applications Middleware entities like HTTP, ...
API Qt, Java, Posix, Symbian & other OS APIs, ...
Symbian, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, various
TCP/IP Stack flavors of Linux, Series 40, RIM,
Modem Renesas, Qualcomm, ST-E, GCT, Broadcom,
Icera (Nvidia), Marvell, Infineon, MediaTek, ...
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9. IPv6 on handsets
IPv6 support required at
different levels
IPv6 support in the applications
IPv6 support on application APIs
IPv6 support on the connection manager
IPv6 support on the TCP/IP stack
IPv6 support on the modem
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10. Phone support for IPv6
LG VL600
CDMA/LTE
dongle
Nokia 21M-02
2G/3G /3.5G USB
dongle
Android iPhone 4S Windows Phone 7 Symbian Nokia N9 Supports IPv6 and
Motorola Droid Bionic IPv6 for WLAN Mango Has supported IPv6 IPv6 add-on IPv4v6 PDP types
handset for Verizon only IPv4 only as no IPv6 since 2004, and used enables dual-
Reportedly has have yet on WP OS; IPv6 in trials. Apps can use stack in 3G and
IPv6 for cellular. support coming in IPv4 or IPv6 cellular WiFi accesses.
Samsung Nexus S Apollo release access but not both
Has IPv6 for WLAN simultaneously. This
only. works normally when
using WiFi access.
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11. High level cellular requirements
• Dual-stack with single PDP (IPv6v4) is the most common solution
• Some network operators are considering dual-stack with parallel PDPs
(IPv6 & IPv4).
− It is required for a 3GPP fallback scenario.
• IPv6-only solution is also required by a few
• Other solutions are also queried and investigated, but not required yet
− PNAT, DS-Lite, DSMIP6, A+P & DS-Lite, 6rd.
• Configurability to single PDP (IPv4v6), parallel PDPs (IPv6 & IPv4), or only
IPv6
− OMA DM (operator configuration) for APN setting
• Gradual fallback in roaming and error cases for improved user experience
− IPv4v6 ► IPv4 & IPv6 ► IPv4 or IPv6
− IPv6 ► IPv4
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12. IPv6 status on mobile networks
• Closed IPv6 trials at least since 2003
• First commercial IPv6 deployments at 2010
− While many operators are conducting internal (lab) trials
• Public trials and some commercial deployments occurring
during 2011
− Even more operators are trialing
− Number of cellular IPv6 capable devices also increasing
• And things are getting even better for 2012 !
• But there are some gotchas
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13. IPv6 changes tethering significantly
Traditional dial-up style IPv4
tethering uses dedicated PDP
context for the dial-up IPv4 tethering solutions, often use
NAT and DHCP to allow sharing of
the same mobile connection with
Traditional dial-up is possible internal applications
also with IPv6
IPv6 does not use NATting, but instead Neighbor
Discovery Proxy ”bridging function” that does not
require explicit network support, or explicit and more
proper DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation as is defined in 3GPP
Release-10
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14. WiFi offloading - Internet
under study
WiFi access
Cellular operator’s
services
Rules via DHCPv6 DHCPv6 server
Routing Cellular access
rule DB Provisioning rules with OMA-DM
RFC4191
draft-ietf-mif-dhcpv6-route-option
Rules via IPv6 Router Advertisements Access Network Discovery
draft-ietf-mif-dns-server-selection and Selection Function
draft-korhonen-mif-ra-offload
3GPP 24.312 ANDSF
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15. IPv6 standards are ready
Key specifications and standards are complete and
matured for product creation and deployment
Additional features and improvements are
actively researched, developed, and standardized. Nokia
participates, for example, to: IPv6 protocol maintenance,
Multi-Interface improvements, IP mobility solutions,
protocol translation topics, and Happy Eyeballs
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16. Additional reading
• Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) for Some Second and Third
Generation Cellular Hosts
−http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3316
• IPv6 Node Requirements
−http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4294
• Happy Eyeballs: Success with Dual-Stack Hosts
−http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-v6ops-happy-eyeballs-05
• Dual Stack Hosts Using "Bump-in-the-Host" (BIH)
−http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-behave-v4v6-bih-06
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