The protocols are IP version 6, which is gradually being phased in to replace v4, with its familiar 32-bit IP addresses (broken into four blocks, e.g. 64.79.4.29). The most significant thing about v6 is that it utilizes 128-bit addresses, sufficient to provide addressing until we get to the point some people speculate about in which we starting converting all matter into computing power. As it is, IPv6 enthusiasts talk about 128-bit addressing in terms of addresses per square meter at the Earth's surface (10 to the 17th power in some estimates), though of course us space cadets know that they should be including at least the Solar System.

IPv6 also has two significant security features. The "IPng Authentication Header" protects the source address against forgery, which in IPv4 is the source of the "IP spoofing" attack. This is the feature that will let you be sure that the email came from the server it says it came from. If mail servers in turn properly authenticate their users, then we should have a pretty high confidence that a piece of email came from who it says it came from.

The other security feature will no doubt prove controversial: The "IPng Encapsulating Security Header" allows each IP message packet to be encrypted, and contains information such as the encryption algorithm used. This header will trigger a bad allergic reaction from regimes that fear encryption, and gives them a way to easily block packets containing encrypted data and to identify which of their citizens is trying to use encryption. Allergic regimes obviously include China and North Korea, but it's an unfortunate historical fact that the US government has shown itself to be just as threatened by encryption (see, for example, the "Clipper Chip" flap in the late 90s and contemporaneous discussion of banning the use of encryption by US citizens). I suspect that many people will continue to use the older methods of encrypting data such as HTTPS and SSL, because they encrypt data within the packet but don't add headers tipping off the Feds and Reds.

IPv6 was made a standard in 1994, and it was designed to be phased in gradually, so that the world doesn't have to stop on "IPv6 Upgrade Day". I'd say by now that all traffic on the major backbones is carried in IPv6 format, and it should be showing up Any Day Soon on invidual network nodes (e.g., your PC). Some problems should get better, there'll be a few new problems, same as it ever was.