COMMERCE DEPARTMENT TO STUDY IMPACT 
OF NEW INTERNET PROTOCOL

Interagency Task Force to Focus on Competitiveness, Security and User Needs

The Commerce Department today announced the launch of a federal government task force to study how deployment of a new industry-developed version of the Internet Protocol, known as IPv6, will affect competitiveness, security and the needs of Internet users.

This next-generation Internet Protocol could pave the way for the emergence of a host of new Internet capabilities by providing a vastly expanded number of addresses for Internet-connected devices. In addition, it may facilitate improved security and reduce operational expenses for Internet users.

The task force, called for by President Bush's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, will be co-chaired by the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and will operate in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal offices and agencies.

The task force will examine the benefits and costs of the new Internet Protocol and the federal government's role in its deployment. It will seek input from the public, and from government and industry experts on a number of issues relating to IPv6 deployment and will meet with interested stakeholders.

Specifically, the task force will issue a request for public comments in the next 45 days and will subsequently convene a public meeting to gather information about IPv6. The task force will provide additional details about its planned activities concurrently with the release of the request for public comment. The task force's efforts will culminate with a report of its findings and recommendations, which will be transmitted to the President next spring.