IPv6 over broadcasting networks: Convergence, trial and large-scale application

Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) technology has been successfully deployed in providing digital broadcast services to wide areas. The required new convergent technologies are considered on enabling the broadcast transmission systems more suitable for the Internet services, such as efficiently encapsulating IPv4 and IPv6 protocol data units into DVB/MPEG-2 Transport Streams. To evaluate and test the convergence technologies for IP over broadcasting network it is indispensable to build the extensive trial project in current and future communication network world, especially on some representative Internet services and applications. The constructed IPv6 over Digital Video Broadcast based Satellite-Terra Distance-Education Network Platform (IPDVB-STDENP) carries a large scale trial to deploy distance learning application under the next generation Internet demonstration project. IP-multicast and native IPv6 support using advanced converging technologies by ULE/MPE encapsulation are implemented efficiently in the DVB-S sender gateway and receiving system of the platform. It presents a ‘real-life’ large-scale application for IPv6 over DVB delivery and gains good effects.