Extreme Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR) won't support Provider Backbone Bridging – Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE)in the E4G family of mobile backhaul devices being announced today.

Moreover, support for MPLS-TP -- the key packet-transport alternative to PBB-TE -- will be added to the company's entire ExtremeXOS portfolio, says Mark Showalter, director of service provider marketing.

Why this matters
This is a strong sign that PBB-TE won't ever get its mojo back, as Extreme was a very early, and outspoken, backer of PBB-TE.

Last year, vendors and analysts were still saying PBB-TE had enough demand to stand alongside MPLS-TP on feature lists, but the consensus seems to be that MPLS-TP has won the war.

Extreme's decision was "driven a lot by the mobile network providers," Showalter says.

PBB-TE still has some support, though. Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN), Cyan Optics Inc. , Tejas Networks India Ltd. and Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB; Frankfurt: BTLA) are among the other companies still offering the technology.

For more
Here's the latest about PBB-TE's presence (or lack thereof) in the industry:

— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor, Light Reading