NIDA Attended CAPIF to Accelerate Central Asia's IPv6 Migration
The CAPIF（Central Asian Peering and Interconnection Forum） was held in Almaty on September 25-26, 2025. It was organized by the international organization RIPE NCC with the support of the host organizations – the Kazakhstan Internet Association (KIA) and the Kazakhstan Association of Telecommunications Operators.The event brought together over 280 participants from 22 countries worldwide, including representatives from Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, as well as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and China.
A notable feature of the forum was the active participation of new specialists: 138 participants joined the forum for the first time, confirming the growing interest in regional cooperation and internet infrastructure development. Furthermore, 12 participants successfully passed the exam and received the RIPE NCC Certified Professional certificate, highlighting the high level of expertise among specialists in the region.
The forum opened with welcoming addresses from officials and industry representatives:
Olzhas Kabenov, Deputy Chairman of the Telecommunications Committee of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan,Hisham Ibrahim, Community Development Manager at RIPE NCC,Shavkat Sabirov, President of the Internet Association of Kazakhstan,Oleg Emelyanov, President of the Kazakhstan Association of Telecommunications Operators.
The Central Asian Peering and Interconnection Forum served as a key platform for sharing experiences, discussing current challenges, and developing solutions aimed at fostering internet community growth and enhancing the quality of network communications in the region.
Session 1. IPv6: The Network for the AI Era
The Speaker shared insights around network trends, new scenarios, and government policies in the artificial intelligence era，emphasizing that the transition to IPv6 is becoming a critical factor for digital economy development and AI implementation. Without widespread adoption of the new protocol, it would be impossible to ensure the scalability and resilience of future networks.
Zhang Jun, industry marketing director of NIDA (Network Innovation Alliance), presented emerging trends in AI-era networks, highlighting four major application scenarios – "Computing Connection", "Intelligence Connection", "Data Connection," and "Space Connection" – along with their key challenges. In response to evolving service demands in these new scenarios, NIDA has established a comprehensive standard framework comprising three horizontal and three Industries layers. Focusing on AI-related services, NIDA has cumulatively released over 13 white papers and standards by 2025.
The meeting featured the white paper "Metropolitan Area Network Architecture and Technical Requirements for the AI Era" jointly developed by NIDA, the Kazakhstan Internet Association, and China Telecom. This white paper underscores the strategic role of IPv6 in building national digital ecosystems and advancing artificial intelligence, big data, and innovative services. National initiatives were discussed, including the establishment of a National IPv6 Council in 2025, along with protocol deployment scenarios.
Session 2. Next-Generation IPv6: Unlocking Kazakhstan's Digital Future
Discussion Rationale: The practical implementation of IPv6 requires coordinated actions from operators, the state, and industry. Analyzing real-world cases helps eliminate barriers and accelerate network modernization.
The discussion focused on practical aspects of IPv6 deployment: addressing, routing, security issues, and real-world application examples in the public sector, transport, and industry. Latif Ladid, Founder and President of the IPv6 Forum, NIDA Strategic Advisory Committee said, in the AI era, IPv6 is poised to play an increasingly critical role. Confronted with the massive applications and complex networks of this new age, IPv6 provided an abundant address space, inherently integrated security capabilities, and highly efficient forwarding mechanisms. It forms the foundational digital infrastructure essential for advancing towards autonomous driving networks in the AI era.
