Rule would require acquisition officials to plan for Internet upgrade

A proposed amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation would require all agency information technology purchases to be compatible with the next-generation Internet to the maximum extent possible.

The amendment, proposed Thursday by the Civilian Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council, would ensure agencies comply with Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6, requirements in acquisition plans.

Comments on the draft regulation are due by Oct. 23 and can be submitted at Regulations.gov.

The proposed rule states that agencies can reduce costly upgrades and the complexity of transitioning to IPv6 by proactively integrating requirements for the new Internet into their IT contracts.

Under IPv6, the number of IP addresses will increase from about 4.3 billion to an essentially unlimited number. Technology officials envision that everything from microwaves to cell phones will be assigned IP addresses.

The proposed change would support an August 2005 Office of Management and Budget mandate that requires all federal agencies to switch the backbone of their networks from the current Internet Protocol version 4 to the next-generation Internet by June 2008.

The OMB mandate also requires that all new IT procurements include IPv6 capable products and systems to the greatest extent possible. All exceptions require advance written approval from the agency's chief information officer.

A recent Government Accountability Office report found that several agencies had failed in meeting key milestones for making the transition to the next-generation Internet. The move promises to significantly increase the address space available on the Internet and revolutionize how it is used.

The GAO report found that despite the OMB deadline, the Pentagon is the only federal agency developing IPv6 applications. Another four agencies are considering them.