Why IPv4 Addresses Are Gone and How IPv6 Will Save the Internet

The global IPv4 address pool has been fully allocated—43 billion addresses are now exhausted, leaving no more IPv4 addresses for ISPs and large network providers.

All IPv4 address space was assigned to five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs): AfriNIC, ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, and RIPE NCC, which soon ran out of addresses.

Exhaustion Timeline

On April 15 2011 APNIC allocated the last IPv4 block to RIPE NCC, which was officially handed over on September 14 2012. LACNIC allocated its final block on June 10 2014. ARIN allocated its last /22 block on September 24 2015, and today RIPE NCC has finally exhausted its pool.

The announcement was made in an email from Nikolas Pediaditis.

On November 25 2019 at 15:35 UTC+1 the final /22 IPv4 block was allocated from the remaining pool, marking total depletion.

IPv4 exhaustion had been anticipated, prompting the urgent development of a new Internet protocol—IPv6.

IPv6 was first defined in 1999; by 2015 only 14 % of the top 1,000 websites (including Facebook, Google, Wikipedia) had adopted it, but adoption is growing as IPv4 resources dwindle.

IPv6 Protocol Advantages

1. Vast address space : IPv6 uses 128‑bit addresses, providing about 3.4×10⁳⁸ possible IPs—2⁹⁶ times more than IPv4.

2. Massive address count : The capacity could supply roughly 1,000 unique IP addresses per square meter of Earth.

3. Higher security and features : IPv6 resolves end‑to‑end connectivity, QoS, security, multicast, mobility, and plug‑and‑play limitations of IPv4.

In the upcoming Internet of Things era, IPv6’s enormous capacity will support billions of smart devices, delivering greater convenience and strategic advantage for nations.

China aims to break the IPv4 monopoly and lead the new era, requiring cooperation from government, network operators, enterprises, and individuals.