China Targets 950 Million Active IPv6 Users by 2030 Under New Five-Year Plan

China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has issued an implementation plan targeting 950 million active IPv6 users by 2030, according to official reports published in July 2026. The 2026–2030 policy framework emphasizes transitioning from basic deployment to technical innovation, single-stack IPv6 evolution, and deeper integration across commercial and industrial sectors. By the end of 2025, China reportedly reached 869 million active IPv6 users, accounting for over 77% of its total internet population.

As artificial intelligence and next-generation smart internet applications demand larger address spaces and higher network carrying capacity, IPv6 infrastructure serves as a core technical foundation for China's digital economy. Transitioning toward single-stack IPv6 reduces reliance on legacy IPv4 transition mechanisms, fostering an autonomous, secure, and high-performance networking ecosystem for future software and hardware development.

China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has issued a comprehensive action plan to accelerate the technical innovation and integrated application of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) from 2026 through 2030, targeting 950 million active IPv6 users by the end of the decade. The policy outline, titled the "Implementation Plan for Deepening IPv6 Technical Innovation and Integrated Application (2026–2030)," sets forth a national roadmap for transitioning the country's network infrastructure from basic deployment toward a single-stack IPv6 architecture. According to officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the rapid convergence of artificial intelligence and mobile internet technologies is creating intelligent internet environments that demand significantly higher network carrying capacity. Officials noted that IPv6 provides the necessary network address capacity and technical foundation to support this ongoing technological evolution. The release builds upon growth achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. By the end of 2025, China recorded 869 million active IPv6 users, accounting for 77.38% of the country’s total internet population and representing an 88% increase over five years. Under the new framework, China has established clear phased objectives. By 2027, authorities aim to comprehensively raise end-to-end IPv6 connectivity and achieve major interim outcomes in technical innovation and application. By 2030, newly added networks will prioritize IPv6 addresses by default, accelerating the transition to an IPv6 single-stack environment and forming a network service and application ecosystem dominated by IPv6. To achieve these goals, the plan deploys 36 key tasks structured around 10 primary focus areas. Key directives include strengthening technology research and development, advancing standard formulation, driving single-stack technical breakthroughs, enhancing network and application facilities, and elevating terminal support capacity. Additionally, the plan calls for expanding sector-specific applications, upgrading commercial internet applications, cultivating technical talent, and reinforcing network security guarantees. Execution of the plan will be overseen by the CAC in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and other relevant government departments, utilizing central-local operational mechanisms to ensure accountability and implementation.