NEW YORK -- Ethernet Expo Americas 2010 -- Matthew Finnie, the CTO of pan-European carrier Interoute Communications Ltd., has a message for the vendor community regarding 100Gbit/s Ethernet developments: "SORT IT OUT!"

Finnie shared his thoughts with an audience of hundreds here in New York in a service provider CTO round-table debate, during which fellow speaker Doug Junkins from NTT America Inc. noted that he needed "affordable" 100Gbit/s Ethernet capabilities right now because "we're hitting the limits of the current technology [10Gbit/s Ethernet]."

Finnie agreed with Junkins, saying that he wanted "cheap 100GigE now please" (he is nothing if not polite), adding that "when we ask for this, the vendors choke."

The debate's host Carol Wilson, Light Reading's chief editor, events, noted that vendors say that each operator is looking for something slightly different in terms of 100Gbit/s Ethernet, and that was making it hard to develop and deliver.

But Finnie was having none of that...

"That's rubbish. They're just saying that," he responded.

On the sidelines of the conference, Finnie stated that the "router guys" are "claiming they're not there yet at the component level," though he clearly isn't convinced that's what's holding up the availability of 100Gbit/s Ethernet systems.

There is evidence of 100Gbit/s Ethernet systems being deployed, though maybe the solution would not be to Finnie's satisfaction. Just today, Alcatel-Lucent announced that 360networks Inc. is deploying its 1830 Photonic Service Switch WDM platform, which features 100Gbit/s-capable next-generation coherent technology, and its 7750 Service Router, which has 100Gbit/s-capable Ethernet interfaces. And, of course, there are other vendors touting rival offerings. (See Colt Trials 100GigE, Infinera Runs 100GigE, Juniper Demos 100GigE, and AlcaLu Readies 100GigE Cards .)

Finnie is known for his baiting of the vendor community, having challenged the equipment firms in the past to deliver simpler, more affordable products. (See EENY 2009: Interoute Targets Edge Unity and Carrier CTO Slams Vendor Complexity.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading