An Internet protocol that allows trillions of new web addresses

IPv6, a new global Internet standard allowing the creation of trillions of new web addresses became operational on Wednesday, ensuring that the internet remains open and accessible for the future.

The new Internet Protocol version 6 system is necessary to prevent the Internet running out of available addresses for new devices like the tablet or smartphone.

"World IPv6 Launch is a permanent step forward to ensure the internet can connect all the people in the world, for many years to come," said Leslie Daigle, Chief Internet Technology Officer for the Internet Society.

IPv6 will eventually replace IPv4, which was conceived during the early days of the Internet.

It only allows just over four billion unique IP addresses -- the sequences of numbers used to identify a device.

Each internet-enabled device needs its own IP address in order to connect to the internet.

However,

due to the shortage of IP addresses, many devices have to share addresses, which can often slow down connection speeds.

Many parts of the world are witnessing increasing broadband penetration, more smart phones and network-ready devices are entering the market, and the sheer number of Internet users is steadily increasing -- all of which raises IP address consumption.

With IPv4 becoming scarce, the need for IPv6 deployment grows daily, the Internet Society said.

Users should not notice any difference in their web use, and new devices should be using the new system as standard, the BBC quoted experts as saying.

Companies such as Google, Facebook and major Internet service providers have enabled the new system in order to encourage the widespread adoption of the standard, it said.

Networking giant Cisco predicts that by 2016, some 18.9 billion internet-enabled devices will be online.

Switching to IPv6 means trillions of possible addresses can now be made.