1310-nanometer, four-color "coarse" or wide wavelength-division multiplexing (WWDM) over multimode or singlemode fiber (extending to 300 meters over multimode fiber and 10 kilometers over singlemode)

Each of these four interfaces will work with either standard 10-Gbit/s Ethernet or the optional Sonet framing format, which is designed for use in WAN transport.

Of the above interfaces, the first one is the most significant. "The inclusion of WWDM was very important to system vendors, as they can build routers which will work with both singlemode and multimode fiber, using only one PMD," wrote one attendee in an email message to Light Reading today.

Still, the jury's out on how all these interfaces will play out in the market. The specs should help ensure that a variety of devices from different vendors will work together, but it's going to take awhile before it's evident just how well they'll interoperate and which ones will become most popular. The IEEE 10-Gbit/s Ethernet specs aren't slated for finalization until 2002.

In the meantime, a growing number of equipment vendors say they're readying kit to put to the test. Here are some of the leading proponents:

For more on the specs, the committee Web site can be accessed at http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/ae/index.html

-- Mary Jander, senior editor, Light Reading http://www.lightreading.com