White House to assess progress on crucial Internet upgrade

The new protocol also allows for new ways of transmitting data and makes it easier to switch between various Internet service providers. The enhanced support for peer-to-peer applications is also expected to revolutionize the way the Web functions.

The transition to IPv6 won’t affect consumers, but ISPs and developers must upgrade their technologies to be compatible with the new standard. 

The U.S. is already lagging behind China and parts of Europe when it comes to adopting IPv6. Federal agencies were required to be capable of carrying IPv6 traffic by June 2008, but adoption remains uneven across the government.

The workshop on Tuesday will focus on the benefits and challenges of the transition. Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion on IPv6 adoption with Google chief Internet evangelist Vint Cerf and Comcast Executive Director Jason Livingood. 

The second panel will feature federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra discussing what the federal government is doing to encourage the transition.