There's more to the 'New Ethernet' but '2.0' was short enough to fit in a headline

Craig Matsumoto, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

February 23, 2012

1 Min Read
MEF Sticks a '2.0' on Carrier Ethernet

The MEF is announcing Carrier Ethernet 2.0 on Thursday -- a blanket name for new specifications that will enable improved Ethernet service interconnect between carriers.

Those specifications include performance objectives for the three classes of service the MEF had previously defined -- Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) and Ethernet LAN (ELAN). By specifying performance objectives, classes of service become quantifiable in a way that can be preserved from one carrier to another. The official MEF video discusses this in more detail:


The MEF is also expanding the number of identified Ethernet services to eight. The eight services come in four types -- E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree and E-Access -- each with private line and virtual private line variants.

Why this matters
Despite the hoopla about a "New Ethernet" being introduced by Bob Metcalfe himself, it turns out there's no new protocol involved. So, what makes this worthy of a "2.0" moniker?

"I believe this is generationally more advanced," MEF President Nan Chen tells Light Reading. The MEF's earliest work was about simply defining Carrier Ethernet services, while the 2.0 model is "more about taking advantage of deployed carrier Ethernet infrastructure to efficiently deliver the bandwidth or services."

Specifically, there's now increased potential for interconnecting carriers' Ethernet services the same way they can interconnect T1 lines, he says.

For more
Relive the buildup to Carrier Ethernet 2.0 -- the tension lasted two whole weeks, you know -- and learn why the Blues Brothers reference in the caption above is funny:

  • 5 Things We Hope 'New Ethernet' Might Be

  • Metcalfe to Unveil 'New Ethernet'



— Craig Matsumoto, Managing Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Craig Matsumoto

Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Yes, THAT Craig Matsumoto – who used to be at Light Reading from 2002 until 2013 and then went away and did other stuff and now HE'S BACK! As Editor-in-Chief. Go Craig!!

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