Google Groups – T-Mobile USA
July 16, 2010

As many are aware there is a coming IPv4 address shortage.  T-Mobile is making strides to move into IPv6 infrastructure in the coming months to sidestep any issues.  Recently T-Mobile posted to their Google groups page that they intend to begin a IPv6 beta program called T-Mobile USA IPv6 beta service.

T-Mobile believes that this head start will allow them to start offering IPv6 enabled devices to their customers, and the beta period will allow testing to verify that these IPv6 devices will be as “feature rich” as their current line up of IPv4 devices.  Additionally they believe this beta will provide an opportunity to move past the limitations of Network Address Translation (NAT) limitations to the eventually standardized Softwires Network Address Translation (SNAT) that will allow IPv4 and IPv6 networks to communicate with each other.

Participants for T-Mobiles IPv6 beta program were asked to meet 5 criteria:

1. Be a T-Mobile USA subscriber with an unlimited data plan
2. Have T-Mobile coverage, not roaming or WiFi
3. Have a Nokia 5230 Nuron or the Nokia E73 Mode phone.  The N900 also works, but it’s IPv6 support is much less mature.
4. Be willing to help T-Mobile improve the service, forgive us as we grow and refine the service, and accept that this beta service is not supported within any T-Mobile support channel, including Customer Care or any T-Mobile store or reseller.  This Google groups forum is the only channel for IPv6 support during the beta friendly user trial.
5. Accept that the service is still evolving and that many services like Visual Voice Mail, MyAccount, MMS (picture messages), and several other services do not yet work. Web and Email both work well, but many other data services are still coming online with IPv6.

Finally the group points to several YouTube videos showing IPv6 in action, which can be found here.

For more information on the T-Mobile beta program and the full article you can head here.