TABLE OF CONTENTS Ethernet began as a high-speed alternative to star-wired copper in premises networks and focused on serving local applications. Over time, Ethernet has been transformed into a generic networking technology for local, campus, metropolitan, and, most recently, WANs. It has proven to be
Scalable from 10 Mb to 10 Gb (and likely beyond)
Flexible (multiple media, full/half duplex, and shared and switched modes)
Easy to install
Generally quite robust
Optical Ethernet is the use of Ethernet packets running over optical fiber within or as access to a service provider s network. The underlying connection can run at any standard Ethernet speed, such as 10/100/1,000 Mb (GigE) or even 10 Gb (as of 2002).
The research firm IDC predicts that metro Ethernet ports will increase at a CAGR of 30 percent until 2006. The factors driving this demand are similar to the factors driving other metro data services:
Increasing corporate use of the Internet
High-bandwidth multimedia applications
A pressing need to connect LANs within the metro area
A need to connect data centers, carrier hotels, and COs within metro areas
Ethernet s number-one advantage over other technologies is price. It can cost two to four times less for a customer to use Fast Ethernet or GigE in a metro area versus a comparable amount of bandwidth over private lines (such as DS-1 or DS-3).
Optical Ethernet systems are evolving beyond mere optical links that interconnect distinct LANs. They are becoming...
