# Rolling out IPv6 to broadband customers

IPv6 removes the address scarcity that drives carrier NAT, but rolling it out well is a project, not a switch. A staged pilot with clear acceptance criteria turns it from a risk into routine.

22 July 2026

[ISP & Network Operators](https://netavo.com/insights)

## Get the foundations right first

Before any subscriber sees IPv6, the pieces behind them have to be ready. Your upstream transit and your own routing must carry IPv6, you need an address plan that gives each subscriber a sensible prefix with room to grow, and your broadband edge must assign both a WAN address and a delegated prefix. The CPE estate matters just as much, because IPv6 behaviour varies between router models and firmware, and the support team needs to recognise an IPv6 fault rather than treating every ticket as a broadband outage.

None of this is exotic, but it is a checklist, and skipping an item shows up as a subscriber whose IPv6 half-works. Netavo provides IP transit over IPv4 and IPv6 with BGP, and Netavo BNG assigns IPv6 WAN addressing and delegated prefixes to subscribers alongside IPv4, so the transit and the termination are ready for a dual-stack rollout.

## Pilot, then widen in stages

Turn IPv6 on for a small, representative group first: a mix of CPE models and a few willing customers. Define what acceptance looks like before you start, so the WAN address and the delegated prefix are both present, a device on the LAN actually reaches IPv6 destinations, and a CPE reboot or reconnect recovers cleanly. Only widen once the pilot meets those criteria, and keep the ability to fall back to IPv4-only for a subscriber whose router misbehaves.

The addressing model, prefix delegation and the forwarding detail live on the Netavo BNG side; for the deeper mechanics see [delivering IPv6 to broadband subscribers](https://netavobng.com/engineering/ipv6-for-broadband) in the engineering library.

## Common questions

### Does IPv6 let me stop running CGNAT?

Not immediately. IPv6 removes scarcity for traffic that can use it, but IPv4-only destinations and some applications remain, so a well-sized CGNAT stays in place and carries less over time.

### Why do some customers get IPv6 that half-works?

Usually a gap in the chain: a missing delegated prefix, a CPE that handles IPv6 poorly, or monitoring that did not catch it. A staged pilot with clear acceptance criteria finds these before a wide rollout.

### Can Netavo BNG assign IPv6 to subscribers?

Yes. It assigns an IPv6 WAN address and a delegated prefix alongside the IPv4 address, as one dual-stack session.

## Related services

### [ISP Network Services](https://netavo.com/services/isp)

IP transit, backhaul and L2TP broadband for internet service providers and network operators.

### [ISP BNG & CGNAT Systems](https://netavo.com/services/bng)

Netavo BNG, a carrier-grade x86-based BNG and CGNAT platform for internet service providers.

## Planning an IPv6 rollout?

Tell us about your access model and CPE estate, and an engineer will talk through transit, addressing and a staged plan.

[Work with us](https://netavo.com/work-with-us)

Source: https://netavo.com/insights/isp-ipv6-rollout