February 24, 2012

The Next Generation Of Carrier Ethernet

Bob Metcalfe, Ethernet inventor (1973) and Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) advisory director, just launched Carrier Ethernet 2.0 (CE 2.0), characterized by three standardized features: Multiple Classes of Service (Multi-CoS); Interconnect; and Manageability, enabling the delivery of differentiated applications over managed and interconnected networks globally.

CE 2.0 is generationally advanced from the standardized Ethernet services delivered over a single provider’s network defined now as Carrier Ethernet 1.0 (CE 1.0).

“Many ‘new Ethernets’ were born since its humble 2.94 Mbps beginnings in Palo Alto,” says Metcalfe. “It’s been more than a decade since Ethernet ventured out into the wide area network, and seven years since we defined the first carrier-class networks and services that we all know as CE. Just as the Web browser revolutionized the efficiency and usability of the Internet, CE 2.0 is positioned to revolutionize the efficiency and usability of Ethernet service delivery.”

According to Metcalfe, CE 2.0 “greatly expands from three services in CE 1.0 to eight services, two of each respectively in E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree, and E-Access, as defined in MEF Service Specifications and Implementation Agreements (MEF 6.1, 6.1.1, 22.1, 33). Further, CE 2.0 carries newly standardized and powerful service features of Multi-CoS with Performance Objectives, Interconnect and Manageability, through the integrated delivery of MEF Service Attributes (MEF 10.2, 10.2.1, 26.1), Implementation Agreements (MEF 13, 20, 23.1) and Management Specifications (MEF 7.1, 16, 17, 30, 31).”

“The approval of key MEF specifications and implementation agreements in 2012 marks the tipping point that this new generation of services and networks can be confidently implemented and deployed as a new industry standards” comments Nan Chen, MEF founder and president. “CE 2.0 provides a new dimension for industry growth and prosperity.”

She adds, “CE generations outline a framework and roadmap for our effort and development at the MEF and for the entire CE industry.  Future-generation networks and services will be geared towards ever more simple and automated service delivery. However, for now and the foreseeable future, CE 2.0, the generationally advanced networks and services with Multi-CoS, Interconnect and Manageability, delivering over eight Ethernet services, is positioned to produce unmatched values to all stakeholders, and to change this industry again.”

Industry Comments

>> Mike Volgende, MEF chairman and director/Business Process Management at Verizon:  “CE 2.0 delivers significant values to all stakeholders worldwide: enterprises, small/medium businesses, retail/wholesale service providers, mobile operators, and network equipment manufacturers. For the enterprise, CE 2.0 will mean more consistent performance levels and associated SLAs regardless of office location. It will also enable enterprises to reach all their offices more efficiently on a global basis. For the small/medium business, it will further the availability of capabilities, such as Internet and hosted services, on a single CE connection, with higher SLAs for those hosted services.”

>> Phil Tilley, MEF Global Marketing Committee co-chair and Alcatel-Lucent director/Portfolio Strategy: “For network equipment manufacturers, it means additional new markets and opportunities, augmenting already hot-selling CE equipment.”

>> Carlos Benavides, MEF Global Marketing Committee co-chair and Verizon Group Manager/Access Strategy: “For mobile operators, it means a foundation for additional efficiencies and cost-savings through implementation of mobile-backhaul-specific multi-CoS performance objectives, packet and network-based synchronization, resiliency performance, and service OAM fault management. For the retail service providers, it means that they can expand their footprint more efficiently globally. It also means the guarantee of certain performance criteria whether on or off net. For the wholesale provider, it means increased revenue by more easily wholesaling existing footprint; it also means the standardized performance that must be delivered from the access network.”

>> Karen Schmidt, MEF board member and executive director/Data Product Management & Strategy at Comcast Business Services: “CE 2.0 underscores the MEF’s commitment to advance the industry and further promote the global adoption of Ethernet services through a new generation of standards. Comcast has long-supported the standardization of CE, and we look forward to working with the MEF on CE 2.0 and the benefits it will bring to our mid-market customers.”

>> Eric Puetz, MEF Certification Committee co-chair and director/Broadband, Access and Transport Standards at AT&T: “The MEF certification program has done more than just verify compliance, it has established a standard for deployed services. As CE 2.0 is introduced, once again MEF certification will play a vital role of speeding deployment, creating a trusted baseline and establishing proper recognition for those who bring CE 2.0 benefits to market, especially to the end user. CE 2.0 certification will be soon available to MEF members.”