China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MiiT) has directed local router manufacturers to default to the IPv6 protocol from December 1, 2023, onwards. This directive encompasses wireless LAN equipment that offers a public IP address allocation feature, ensuring that they have IPv6 address allocation as their default setting while still permitting user-configured settings.

All agencies responsible for testing and approving such equipment must now have the capability to test for IPv6 protocol compliance, ensuring all new equipment meets the standard, asserted MiiT.

While the directive is applicable to telecommunications giants like China Telecom, they can continue supporting the older IPv4 standard.

Slow adoption concerns: This push towards IPv6 comes as a response to the slow adoption rate in the country. Data from the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) shows that only about 31% of connections in China currently use IPv6, even though concerns about running out of IPv4 addresses had been raised by officials as early as 2008.

The notice also emphasizes that manufacturers or importers of wireless LAN equipment intended for sale and use within China must obtain the necessary approval certifications. Furthermore, they need to comply with pertinent radio management regulations. Testing agencies are required to conduct their evaluations according to specific technical requirements listed in the notice.

Telecom operators are encouraged to support users accessing the Internet via IPv6 wireless LAN devices. However, users retain the option of using existing wireless LAN equipment.

Monitoring and enforcement: To ensure adherence, radio management bodies in various provinces and regions will intensify monitoring of the production and sale of IPv6 wireless LAN equipment, penalizing non-compliant devices.

Existing wireless LAN devices made or imported before the December 1 deadline can remain in circulation until their retirement.