- The IETF 123 meeting in Spain convenes global engineers to drive progress on IPv6, secure protocols, and network automation.
- Discussions highlight key advances in QUIC, federated identity, and operational automation, setting the course for future internet growth.
What happened: Global collaboration on internet standards
The IETF 123 meeting, held in Spain, brought together engineers, network architects, and protocol developers from across the globe to collaborate on advancing internet standards. As the premier forum for protocol design, this edition was marked by vibrant participation and focused on key areas shaping the internet’s future. Core topics included global IPv6 deployment strategies, where operators exchanged practical insights on optimising address planning and tackling dual-stack transition challenges. Security was another major focus, with extensive sessions on updating Transport Layer Security (TLS), promoting DNSSEC adoption, and enhancing Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) security through RPKI and BGPsec mechanisms.
Transport innovation was also prominent, especially discussions around QUIC’s evolution, including improvements to congestion control and the exploration of multipath extensions tailored for mobile and content delivery networks. The meeting featured new proposals on identity and privacy standards, covering federated identity frameworks, privacy-preserving authentication, and emerging regulatory impacts like the EU Digital Identity Wallet. Lastly, network operations and automation sessions highlighted the growing adoption of YANG models, intent-based networking, and secure telemetry to manage increasingly complex, multi-domain environments. The event’s hackathon stimulated hands-on development alongside these discussions, driving early implementations and experimentation.
Also Read: IETF 123: Boosts protocols with hackathon and sprint
Also Read: IETF 123 advances in Madrid following hackathon conclusion
Why this is important
IETF 123 reinforces the need for a scalable and secure internet. IPv6 deployment tackles address shortages, while stronger TLS and wider DNSSEC adoption improve protection against cyber threats. These updates are crucial as online services and devices multiply worldwide.
Improvements in QUIC boost performance for mobile and streaming networks. New privacy and identity standards respond to regulations like the EU Digital Identity Wallet. Automation with YANG models helps manage growing network complexity. These efforts show IETF’s ongoing role in shaping a reliable, modern internet. More details are on the IETF important dates page.
