Bulletproof trials 'cloud-only' IPv5

Bulletproof Networks will lead a global consortium to trial internet protocol version 5 in a “baby steps” effort to address the limitations of IPv6.

The IPv5 trial, code-named IP Freely, will attempt to avoid a “digital doomsday” caused by exhaustion of existing IPv4 IP addresses and the slow take-up of IPv6.

Bulletproof CEO Anthony Woodward blamed the underwhelming adoption of IPv6 on the wholesale technical changes required with its take-up.

"We believe that a far simpler, ‘baby steps’ approach is required to solve the problem. If IPv6 is too large a step, let’s get together and organise a more gradual approach,” he said.

The IPv5 scheme will simply add a fifth number to the existing four-number IPv4 address scheme, to provide 254 times the current IP address space capacity. 

"Two hundred and fifty four times the current IPv4 address space ought to be enough for anybody. We're amazed no-one has thought this up before - it's so simple!" Woodward said.

Pending the success of IPv5, Bulletproof plans to leapfrog IPv6 up to IPv7 and IPv8, which Bulletproof CTO John Ferlito said was fitted with Double Octet Hybrid Cloud (DOHC) capability.

Bulletproof will make the IPv5 addresses cloud-only, and is limiting the trial to cloud service providers.

"As a result of these developments, there's the very real possibility that we could see a future where we don't need IP addresses at all, or even the internet for that matter. We have cloud!" Ferlito said.

The trial will commence on the 1st April and finish at midday.