It may also be possible to obtain commercial vendor support in this area. It is expected that the existing QTPv6 network will continue to operate for the short term while a new infrastructure is implemented. It is hoped that equipment can be obtained for at least each named participant in GTPv6. Deliverables would be used as a means of justifying extensions of loans where required. There is a possibility of funding via the IST 5th Framework, but such funding requires commercial partners.
Some discussions are ongoing.
Physical location of the routers may be an issue. Work items will be carried out in parallel. It is hoped that a new IPv6 infrastructure can be put in place before July 2001. However, this is dependent on various factors, not least router provision. For the operation of a production backbone, early recommendation and promotion of address assignment policies is required.