Chapter 9. Future Developments in Broadband Access

In this chapter, you learn about the following topics:

• Introduction to IPv6 Protocol

• VPN Migration Scenarios from IPv4 to IPv6

• Introduction to L2VPN Technology and Pseudo-wires Using MPLS and L2TPv3

• Implications of L2VPN for Broadband Access Providers

This chapter looks out into the future a little at some protocol-level changes that might be coming soon to a network near you. Even though the protocols discussed here, IPv6 and L2VPN, are new and different, the architectural issues and requirements for broadband VPNs stay the same.

IPv6 has been sitting on the shelf for almost 10 years now, waiting to play the role it was designed for: namely, to replace IPv4 as the standard Layer 3 protocol. Although IPv6 is still often found in trial and research networks, it is also turning up in production networks, especially in Asia, and is mandatory for U.S. federal environments. Interestingly enough, all the major host and router vendors support IPv6, so that is not the gating factor to deployment.

The second topic of discussion, Layer 2 VPN (L2VPN), is getting a lot of air time at the standards bodies, so it is worthwhile to spend a little time understanding the service models, the technical details, and the potential impact on broadband access.