IPv6 Led Changes of the Broadband Access Architectures

The next generation of IP and the broadband networks are very well matched to support and stimulate each other´s growth. Of all IP infrastructures deployed today, broadband networks are the first to experience the constraints of both private and global IPv4 address space. These challenges make IPv6 an immediate necessity. At the same time, IPv6 offers features and functionalities that can improve current broadband services and stimulate the deployment of new ones. IPv6 leads to innovative, less constrained service architectures that have new, distinctive features. The changes and features driven by IPv6 are reviewed in this paper structured in two parts. The first part reviews the drivers for the IPv6 adoption in broadband networks. The second analyses the IPv6 impact on network and service architectures for access providers identifying the areas requiring further investigation