The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has completed IPv6 readiness testing for FedNet, the country’s Federal Government Network. The testing process for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) included internal assessments and practical tests to ensure the readiness of FedNet in terms of hardware and software requirements.
The tests prove the ability of FedNet and its operators to switch to IPv6 to access new capabilities and address the shortage of IPv4 addresses. The tests were carried out in co-operation with UAE telcos du and Etisalat.
HE Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of TRA and the UAE mGovernment, said, “These efforts are part of TRA vision of providing sustainable internet infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the smart city transformation process, as well as providing the highest standards of security, reliability and speed of transaction through applications and smart devices. The aim of this step is to confirm the UAE’s leadership in smart services and support the UAE’s strategies in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We are confident that such efforts will have a positive impact on enhancing the business environment in the UAE to increase its attractiveness and competitiveness.”
Engineer Saeed Belhoul, Director eGovernment Operations in TRA, added: “IPv6 provides greater flexibility in availing internet resources to meet the growing demand, especially in light of the widespread of smart devices of all kinds, both in the work environment or daily life. Collaboration with our private sector partners, specifically Etisalat and du, is an important factor in the success of these efforts to provide very high speeds in all forms of electronic transactions related to all forms of human activities. This is also the first time this type of testing is conducted in cooperation with the operators.”
FedNet is a secure, scalable, centrally-hosted network, which serves government entities with connectivity and cloud services. As of the start of 2017, 43 government entities were connected to Federal Network (FedNet), out of which 33 are completely integrated within FedNet. The Abu Dhabi Government and Dubai Government also connect their own dedicated networks to FedNet.
