As we highlighted in a blog post on this topic last year, IPv6 will provide a much larger pool of numbers for use as IP addresses. Expressed mathematically, IPv4 provides addresses equal to 2 to the 32^nd power or about 4.2 billion. IPv6 provides addresses equal to 2 to the 128^th power. Two, times two, times two, etc. … 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses to be exact.

We’ve come a long way from 1969 when the Internet began as a research tool. Since then, we’ve exhausted more than 4 billion IP addresses.

Regarding these final IPv4 address, this blog post from The Wall Street Journal notes, “The batches of numbers were distributed to five regional addressing organizations around the globe, who will allocate the numbers to ‘service providers’ – a broad group that includes Internet operators, Web companies and others – over the coming months.”

Most likely consumers won’t feel any impact from the switch to IPv6 – which will happen over several years – but it’s certainly interesting to reflect on the fact we’ve reached a new level in our use of the Internet.

The announcement was part of Obama’s State of the Union address last month and calls for making “500 megahertz of wireless airwaves, or spectrum, available over the next decade to meet the growing demand for broadband services, including the widely popular Apple iPad and proliferation of smartphones,” according to this Reuters article.

The article also quotes Obama as saying, “This isn’t just about a faster Internet and fewer dropped calls. It’s about connecting every part of America to the digital age.”

A November 2010 report on home broadband Internet adoption in the United States used Census data to assess broadband access and usage. Findings included:

• 7 of 10 American households used the Internet in 2009.
• Income and education are strongly associated with broadband Internet use at home.
• Broadband Internet adoption was higher among white households than black or Hispanic households in 2009.
• Urban residents are more likely than rural ones to adopt broadband Internet access.
• Lack of need or interest, lack of affordability, lack of an adequate computer, and lack of availability were all stated as the main reason for not having home broadband Internet access.

So in reviewing these findings would you agree the government needs to make an investment in wider broadband access? Share your comments!

Yet, the lion’s share of businesses need – and have – Internet access. The report found 95 percent of U.S. businesses with five or more employees do have at least one broadband connection. Just more than half of businesses don’t know their connection speeds but are satisfied with their service.

If you were polled on your Internet, would you be satisfied? We all know good Internet access is as important to business these days as having a telephone so when the Internet goes down it can practically cripple your business. What would you change about your business Internet experience – faster speed, cheaper price or better customer service?

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A number of individuals and small businesses – as well as people who work from home – buy an Internet package and use up all the bandwidth they want. But could that be changing? A recent article from The Wall Street Journal points out some Internet and telecommunications companies are considering reverting to the early days of the Internet and pay-as-you-go pricing.

It stands to reason consumers may balk at this idea, although one way to lessen the blow could be to model cell phone plans. Consumers are certainly used to buying packages of minutes and text messaging and getting dinged when they exceed the limit. Would Internet usage operate the same way? And yet how could that impact business, particularly small companies and those that launch at the kitchen table using home-based Internet?

As pointed out in the WSJ article: Advocates say unlimited monthly Internet service has been critical to the Internet’s growth and the formation of online start-ups. Paying by the amount of Internet traffic used could damp usage and the sort of tinkering that can lead to breakthroughs, they warn.

It’s certainly possible fewer people would jump on YouTube to watch a funny video, do shopping on Amazon or spend an hour uploading photos to a photo sharing site, instead saving their Internet minutes for business-oriented or critical family tasks. How might that impact Web-based businesses and online advertising?

What do you think? Would you be willing to pay for the Internet as you use it?