IPv6 – The New Internet Protocol What IPv6 Brings to the Aviation Industry?

This article explores the features of the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) and its ability to fulfill the requirements of the air-transport industry which, for the effects of this article, includes airlines, airports, civil aviation and aerospace. It addresses potential benefits and challenges that can be derived from adopting the IPv6 protocol. It demonstrates that the aviation industry has a unique opportunity to become an IPv6 technology early adopter and thus claim a key spot in the Internet evolution while at the same time securing new business opportunities. Finally, it outlines what could be a strategic transition plan over IPv6 for the aviation and key industry partners.

The Internet has become the de-facto standard for digital communications. A revolution has begun with the advent of always-on and everywhere-access via wireless and broadband technologies. Industries tightly linked to digital communications need to enact strategies aimed at adapting and reaping maximum benefits from this evolution.

The aviation industry is one of the largest consumers of information and communications technology (ICT). Indeed, the air-transport industry has very often been identified as an early adopter of new technologies because its core operation relies on the efficient use of ICT systems. Therefore, it is uniquely positioned to make the strategic technology leap and create competitive advantages and new business from the adoption of the new protocol IPv6.

2. Introduction

Millions of business people and travelers worldwide expect high quality communications services as if they were at home or at the office. Millions of devices and machines expect to be connected as the Internet revolution gathers pace with the advent of network-of-everything. People are becoming more and more “nomadic” when it comes to data connectivity.

Technology experts predict that the current Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) cannot handle the future mass of users, their inherent mobility and the range of related required features. This mobile revolution resulted in the development of the budding Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

Two thirds of the total IPv4 addresses worldwide have already been allocated to the global Internet community and, as a consequence, IPv6 is now being implemented to accommodate concerns that are critical to current and future customer’s requirements.

IPv6 is the response to critical economic factors that the global air-transport industry faces, because it enables the aviation industry to keep-up with technology evolution, to increase security and safety demands as well as competition and marketing requirements.

IPv6 is the enabler for cost effective services which will increase the efficiency and security of passenger flow, in particular for baggage reconciliation and parcel tracking to ensure that a passenger and its own luggage are on the same flight, e-ticketing performance to secure transactions for mobile-commerce, biometrics devices and controlled sensors to enhance safety at airports (Fig. 1).

IPv6 is the response to huge IP addresses requirements as a consequence of the advent of mobile networks such as Third-Generation (3G) wireless services, which could be hampered if a massive number of additional IP addresses, are not made available very soon.

For example, 3G mobile services require the assignment of 264 unique addresses per mobile appliance, in other words, a whole «/64» IPv6 prefix for each 3G mobile phone or device. IPv6 opens up a range of new possibilities, the most important of which is expected to be the ability to form Personal Area Networks (PANs) where mobile phones provide addresses and connectivity to a range of personal devices such as PDAs, wearable cameras and sensors.

3. The New Internet - IPv6

The Internet protocol (IP) suite has a number of functions, the most fundamental being the assignment of IP addresses to devices which enable the information exchange from computer to computer over the global Net. The IP protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the predominant protocol in use today, while the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is designed as a successor to IPv4.

3.1 Advantages of IPv6 vs IPv4

IPv6 has advantages over IPv4 for both network operators and end-users. The new protocol allows the deployment of millions of always-on, IP enabled devices and each having its own unique IP address.

A growing number of challenges have been encountered by the current Internet Protocol IPv4 over the years, including the scarcity of addresses which is essential for emerging Internet markets where the number of users continues to grow exponentially. Some operators have worked around this address limitation by using Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT provides a solution for client/server-based Internet applications but is less appropriate for peer-to-peer applications of mobile communications, which greatly limits the deployment of innovative network services.

The most notable IPv6 benefits are the huge address space capabilities, in-built security and mobility features, "plug-and-play" through address auto-configuration, simplified site renumbering and networks and services easy re-design features.

These inherent IPv6 features will help to reduce implementation costs and minimize the administrative workload for enterprises. Innovative services such as seamless next generation mobility requires always-on global reachability, “peer-to-peer” and end-to-end security, badly needed by travelers.

.3.2 New Services

IPv6 represents the step forward in the Internet’s ability to deploy new innovative applications that benefits from real “reachability” between people and machines. By “reachability”, we mean the ability for people and machines to contact each other directly

Much of this capability has been lost in the past years due to scarce public IP addresses that are necessary for machines and people to be reached, and scarce mobility functions to provide connectivity everywhere. These IPv6 inherent capabilities enable the deployment of pervasive applications such as Grid computing (http://www-1.ibm.com/grid/about_grid/index.shtml) that is evolving into “on demand computing”, push services and real peer-to-peer services.

Next generation mobile service branded as “IMS” (IP Multimedia Subsystem), which include mobile Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and messaging systems, necessarily implies the use of IPv6 because of its inherent advantages. Early IPv6 mobile appliances have already been tested in live networks over the past year such as video cameras and sensors.

The need for IPv6 is further exacerbated by the commercial push of 3G UMTS to support millions of person-to-person and machine-to-machine communications coupled with the growing success of new broadband wireless technologies such as WLAN, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

Mobile IPv6 is a mobility protocol for IPv6 enabled handsets providing always-on and seamless mobility capabilities. Mobile IPv6 provides seamless mobility for next generation mobile services and applications, by enabling terminals to maintain their IP connectivity as they move across networks with different access technologies.

Additionally, Mobile IPv6 with its Hierarchical Mobile (HMIPv6), route optimization and fast handovers (FMIPv6) techniques greatly improve real-time service mobility (for reference: HMIPv6 - RFC 4140, FMIPv6 -RFC 4068).

3.3 Regional IPv6 Transition Plans

Transition to IPv6 is under way in several Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, India and China. This is due to the fact that IPv6 is ready for deployment and products already exist and have the maturity to facilitate commercial deployment.

Other regions of the world have been more conservative in making commitments to national roadmaps.

On September 2005, Austrian authorities released to the press a call for immediate deployment. The Austrian assessment of transitioning scenarios includes technical and economic factors and the influence of the marketplace. The IPv6 Austrian Task Force reported that knowledge will be conveyed through awareness and education activities to all the community sectors. ( http://www.telekom.at/Content.Node/media/en/2005/epa_0929_IPv6.php).

Other European nations will follow in the next few months.

The US DoD (Department of Commerce) announced recently that commercial deployment is expected by 2008, but has already started planning for it. Government agencies have a strict deadline, as they must transition to IPv6 by June 2008. The Office of Management and Budget has released a plan of action (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda) that allows agencies to coordinate the transition to the new Internet protocol until November 2005.

An assessment of all existing IP-compliant devices and technologies will be performed in the form of an inventory of existing switches, routers and firewalls. This will be followed by a feasibility analysis to determine the cost, operational impact and risk of migrating to IPv6. A new policy will ensure that agencies will purchase new hardware that is “IPv6-compliant-only”. If their hardware is not “IPv6-compliant-only”, they are obliged to receive a special written approval from their CIO to buy “non-IPv6” hardware.

4. Implications for the Air-transport Industry

IPv6 and its mobility features will have a huge impact on the aviation and travel industry.

IPv6 is a critical enabler for greater speed and precision in the performance of net-centric operations for the global ground and air communications area.

The timely integration of IPv6 requirements into the aviation industry development plans will reduce complexity and transition costs by ensuring that current applications operate in an environment without inter-operability problems and additional costs.

IPv6 technologies early adopters have a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and experience, which in turn will translate into a competitive advantage and an easy and low-cost management of the transition to IPv6, while at the same time securing new businesses.

IPv6 technologies early adopters need to manage IPv6/IPv4 ambivalences within their organizations, and amongst their customers and providers. This is important and cannot be underestimated however, it is often greatly overstated.

A real concern consists in the risk of creating “IPv6 islands” due to a lack of commitment to deploy IPv6 all the way throughout the industry.

Nevertheless, a well-established comprehensive industry transition plan will help to reduce these risks, accommodating the appropriate transition mechanisms, and allowing complete interoperability with other services still not adapted to IPv6.

Several transition scenarios like dual stack, tunneling and translation will be investigated by industry stake holders, in order to select the most cost-effective transition mechanism. Among them, the tunneling mechanism gives the most cost efficient way to introduce IPv6 without the need to upgrade the whole network at once..

5. How the Aviation industry will take advantage of IPv6?

IPv6 represents a new means to enhance security and safety for the transport of passengers and baggage. National authorities ought to offer new ways to automate and secure immigration controls. Airports and airlines must offer safe and efficient ways to manage travel workloads at reduced costs and enhanced competitive advantages.

The following are some concrete cases where IPv6 can be a key business enabler for the aviation industry:

• In-flight services: Airlines are looking to enhance e-capabilities in planes. In-flight Internet services requiring mobility, peer-to-peer and security features will be easily available by integrating IPv6 features into aviation core ICT systems. Several airlines are already boosting services such as e-mail, web, wireless Internet (Boeing-Intel, KLM), GSM phones (Ericsson).

• Messaging systems: critical information about flights, baggage and goods distribution needs to be delivered to wireless and wearable devices such as mobile phone, PDAs and laptops to airports and airlines staff. The more critical messages will require higher security features.

• Luggage handling process: Samsonite is already placing chip-cards in luggage to be activated via different processes. A combination of Bluetooth or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or short-range wireless and IP technologies will facilitate passengers to track luggage at airports e.g. Hong-Kong, one of the busiest airports in the world, recently announced a RFID baggage tracking infrastructure (Fig. 2).

• Reconciliation systems: airlines require that every bag is accompanied by its owner on a flight. Reconciliation systems are required to match bag and owner for safety reasons.

• Tracking systems: airline companies and airports can easily track and monitor airplane information by becoming IP addressable: e.g. sensors and cameras.

• Ground communications: IPv6 facilitates the “reachability” of people and machines and enhances communications that are fundamental for airports to achieve efficient resource management.

Fig. 1 - Checking flight information on your mobile phone

Fig.2 - Tracking your lost luggage on your PDA

Integrate IPv6 features as early as possible in the system lifecycle will help to minimize problems to upgrade solutions and systems currently being developed. Existing solutions will have to migrate to ensure system interoperability. New prototype solutions will timely implement advanced features and the results of these experiences should be subsequently put into the market and turned into business opportunities.

6. Aviation Industry Steps Towards Migration

In June 2005, the US Air Force Agency announced the following plan:

“To develop a future network where every airman, aircraft and piece of equipment across the Air Force network will be “IP addressable”. The US Air Force transition to IPv6 will require a comprehensive transition management plan and a supporting organizational structure to effectively oversee the breadth of the task. The Air Force IPv6 Transition Management Office has been established under the direction of the Air Force Communications Agency with oversight by the Air Force CIO (AF-CIO)”.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (http://www.icao.org) is also assessing the adequacy of IPv6 for the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN)/OSI standards and services. The interest in IPv6 by civil aviation is twofold: IPv6 is an industry-driven set of standards developed based on the needs of users and the actual implementation of new protocols. Conversely, the ATN/OSI standards were completed, but have not yet been implemented. Therefore, it is critical to consider ATN as a potential IPv6 buyer.

Eurocontrol (http://www.eurocontrol.int) has announced that it will replace the entire x25 systems by an open standard IPv6 infrastructure. iPax, currently defined as the advanced European Air Traffic Control system, is the trial networking platform plan for 14 European countries. Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) have reported that x25 technology not only affects the private x25 Air Traffic Service networks, but also the x25-based applications, implying that the ground-to-ground Air Traffic Service (ATS) data exchanges system is becoming increasingly costly and has a limited lifetime. Major manufacturers have already announced the phasing out of their x25 products in the short term. The necessity to deploy IP-based ground-to-ground ATS data communications is a key priority.

Eurocontrol is also seeking to determine the suitability of VoIP for European ATS purposes. In terms of mobility, the iPAX-Task Force is investigating Mobile IP protocols and Mobile routers to determine the impact it may have on the addressing and routing of a fixed international IP network service. It should be observed that some airports are already testing today mobile applications such as the US Coast Guard that completed Mobile IP field trials in November 2002.

These clear signs demonstrate the aviation industry’s readiness to commence commercial deployment that will give the boost to new business opportunities badly needed by an industry that has faced economical downfalls since 2001.

7. Conclusions

A “rapid” transition to IPv6 by the aviation and travel industries that have heavily invested in legacy and IPv4 over the years should not be expected yet. Some industry partners may not even switch over to the new IP version in the next few years. However, it is clear that more demanding customers will increasingly require capabilities in their check-list of features that only IPv6 would be able to handle. This could be the spin-off of the aviation and travel industries towards the new information revolution era.

It is therefore obvious that the first industry players to move in this direction with gradual low-risk plans will be the ones that will obtain the greatest returns.

Network infrastructure and devices need to support dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 and Mobile IPv6 to ensure seamless interworking between IPv6 and IPv4 systems. Service providers need to deliver a broad range of quality services during the transition from legacy and IPv4 technologies to IPv6.

8. Recommendations

For the aviation industry to call for an incremental transition to IPv6, it relies on a leading organizational structure to oversee the deployment on a global scale and centralized management approach.

The transition plan to IPv6 should be developed in such a way that non-IP systems move directly to IPv6 to increase efficiency and to avoid a lengthy and costly process including risk assessment, goals, policies, timelines, and costs.

The main issues to be considered for the accomplishment of IPv6 deployment are:

• Develop expertise on IPv4-IPv6 transition and co-existence strategies

• Integrate IPv6 capabilities as early as possible in the system lifecycle, to enable interoperability among networks and services

• Ensure networks and applications will not be interrupted or be the least disruptive

• Assess costs and schedule impacts.

Finally, in order to achieve IPv6 return on investment (ROI), an incremental deployment roadmap is required, to enable low up-front costs and early service availability.

Rosa M. Delgado
ICT Expert
E-mail: rosa@delgado.aero