APAC IPv6 Council

Overview

The APAC IPv6 Council is the Asia-Pacific regional chapter of the global IPv6 Forum, established to coordinate the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 across more than 30 countries in the region. It operates as a multi-stakeholder platform involving governments, industry leaders, and academic institutions to drive regional digital infrastructure policy and technical standards.

History

The Council was officially founded on 12 June 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the endorsement of the IPv6 Forum. Its creation was led by Prof. Emeritus Dr. Sureswaran Ramadass to re-invigorate former Asia-Pacific IPv6 Task Forces and address the depletion of the IPv4 address space by establishing regional "IPv6-Only" roadmap milestones.

Objectives

According to its official materials, the council aims to:

  • Promote awareness and education on IPv6 and related technologies.
  • Support policy and regulatory engagement concerning IPv6 adoption.
  • Facilitate technical capacity-building initiatives.
  • Encourage collaboration among government, industry, and academic stakeholders.

Events and meetings

The APAC IPv6 Council organizes meetings, workshops, and related programs to facilitate knowledge exchange and technical collaboration.

Recent and scheduled meetings include:

  • 1st APAC IPv6 Council Meeting – 7 June 2024, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • 2nd APAC IPv6 Council Meeting – 6 December 2024, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3rd APAC IPv6 Council Meeting – 10–11 July 2025, Chennai, India
  • 4th APAC IPv6 Council Meeting – 9–10 April 2026, Kathmandu, Nepal

Leadership

The Council is governed by a board of international experts:

  • Advisor: Latif Ladid (President, IPv6 Forum) and Dr. Devesh Tyagi.
  • Chairman: Prof. Emeritus Dr. Sureswaran Ramadass, an IPv6 Hall of Fame inductee.
  • Vice-Chairs: Krishna Kumar Lahoti (India) and Robin Li (Huawei).
  • Chief Secretary: Vallikkannu Nagappan.

Policy and Research

The Council has authored or co-authored several regional policy works, including:

  • Asia-Pacific IPv6 Implementation Whitepaper
  • ASEAN 5G Regional Best Practices Whitepaper
  • ASEAN 5G Industrial Development Guideline (Released October 2024)

Awards

  • IPv6 Forum Excellence Award (2024): Awarded for effectively consolidating the Council and achieving double-digit IPv6 penetration in Asia.
  • IPv6 Lifetime Achievement Award (2024): Conferred on Chairman Prof. Dr. Sureswaran Ramadass by the IPv6 Forum.