It could be more pernicious than that: IPv4, because of the potential lack of addresses, is very good at centralizing the network. For instance, most ISPs don't offer it's customers a fixed IP address. It makes installing servers more difficult. Some ISPs even share IP addresses between customers. It makes installing servers impossible. The result is a more centralized network, where you more or less have to blog and mail through big companies' servers.
The stakes are very high. A centralized network provides huge opportunities for analysis and targeted advertisement (read: spying and manipulation). IPv6, by providing an internet address to every device on this planet, is a threat to that model. However, clinging to that model is not directly making money from IP addresses, so the ICANN may not be able to do anything about telco dragging their feet.
