Why isn’t digital infrastructure being updated? The case of IPv6

While the transition from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to version 6 (IPv6) promises significant advantages and is critical given the exhaustion of IP addresses, surprisingly few studies have examined the reasons for its poor organizational adoption. Moreover, most existing studies have focused on the technical issues surrounding IPv6 adoption. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the determinants of and barriers to IPv6 adoption by organizations. More broadly, the study will identify the processes by which components of digital infrastructure, such as IPv6, are assimilated. Drawing upon institutional and process theories, an IPv6 technology adoption model is developed. A positivist case study research approach was used to provide a richer understanding of digital infrastructure adoption and assimilation. We are currently in the midst of our data collection and have collected data from four organisations on their IPv6 adoption experiences. These organisations are in the tertiary education industry in New Zealand, and are at different stages of their IPv6 adoption process. We present the preliminary findings and discuss their fit with our initial model.