Yes please do apply for a IPV6 reservation of equivalent size.
Packet radio is a very important backup digital service.
Should a world disaster ever happen (21st December anyone!)
and we loose things like the internet, phone lines, power, sat com's. etc etc. This is where Amateur radio will shine true and have the potential to help the world.
Just because something is old it doesn't mean it no longer has a good use.
I believe even Morse code has it's place.
Besides, who's to say that newer digital modes with faster speeds won't come into being in the future.
Just look at the work being done with Codec2 to provide a real open source option for V/UHF/& even HF digital voice.
Currently here we are building a system that integrates ATV, WiFi 2.4 & 5.8Ghz linking, Packet radio V/UHF/&HF, Asterisk All_Star / Echoling V/UHF/HF Voice (No Evil IRLP & Death-Star), VUHF repeater.
All backed by Solar / Wind / NiFe Battery banks.
Yes we link back into the internet for convenience, but in no way would I ever consider it anything more than a novelty.
*** The internet & land lines can NEVER be relied upon in a disaster situation ***.
The amateur network should **always** have in place and promote true RF links as the backbone of any network both voice and digital.
The way forward with packet radio is some form of low power consuming hardware "black Box" integrating DSP, CPU, RAM, Flash, & Linux OS. With flexible connectivity. Ethernet, Bluetooth, RS232/485, & WiFi etc.
Devices like for example the "Rasbery Pi" with custom Ham Radio daughter board are the way of the future for Packet Radio.
Flexibility is the thing. The ability to run multiple modems within software that can range and auto detect the best mode for the conditions negotiating or handshaking between each end of a link and setting the best modem for the link conditions also with frequency agility. (ALE for example).
Or even pre existing hardware platforms could be adapted.
Look how cheap a smart phone is these days.
Most already run Linux (Android).
Could the next amazing free killer app be a DSP packet radio modem that connects to your V/UHF/HF radios via bluetooth or WiFi?
Anyhow, packet radio is certainly not a lost cause.
Some amateurs have just become lazy and can't open their minds to possibility and look towards the future.
~ Ken - vk4akp
.-.-.
