Broadband provider Andrews & Arnold ( AAISP ) has confirmed that they are now able to provide IPv6 as standard for all new UK installs, including a "free with the service" consumer IPv6 capable broadband router. The move is being done to help support World IPv6 Day (8th June 2011), when many of the world's major content providers (e.g. Google, Facebook etc.) will offer their services over IPv6 for a 24-hour "test flight".

An IP address is assigned to your computer each time you go online (kind of like an internet ID Tag for your connection) and allows you to connect with other systems and services. Sadly the current range of IPv4 addresses are running out, which is why IPv6 was created, but many in the industry have been slow to adapt.

AAISP, which has been offering the service for over 9 years, first made IPv6 allocation an automatic feature for new customers in January 2011. However at the time it did not have any consumer IPv6 broadband routers (connection hardware) to offer alongside its packages.


Customers ordering broadband can expect IPv6 to work right out of the box and without any extra configuration being involved. AAISP intends to ship the high-end Billion 7800N router, which includes a switch and Wi-Fi features. It supports the current IPv6 protocol as well as the older IPv4 protocol on customers' broadband lines.