We've finally found something we can't get Nan Chen to talk about.

Marketing man Nan Chen -- last seen at mesh wireless startup Strix Systems Inc. -- is going back to his roots with a new carrier Ethernet venture called Qosera.

Strix confirmed that Chen had left the company early in August. Chen told Unstrung Monday afternoon that he had enjoyed working at Strix but wanted to get more involved in the carrier Ethernet market. (See Chen Gone From Strix.)

Chen, whose past stops included time served at Force10 and as a director of technology at Nortel, first blipped on Light Reading's radar when he joined Ethernet equipment maker Atrica in 2001. He has won a record three Light Reading Leading Lights Awards in a row for his marketing efforts at three different organizations between 2004 and 2006.

"I really enjoyed the wireless experience, but Ethernet is my passion," he said. "I wanted to start a new company in the carrier Ethernet space."

Chen says that Qosera is currently in the "preparation stage" so he isn't giving out many details about the venture. He does, however, promise that the company will carve out a "new product category... both from the hardware and software perspective."

Chen says that the overall goal of the company is to allow carriers to better deliver Ethernet services. [Ed note: See, we said it was vague.]

Despite Chen's positivity about Strix, muni mesh observers note he left that market at just the right time. The entire WiFi mesh sector appears to be a period of flux as operators and vendors search for business models that make money and sense. (See What Now for Muni WiFi?.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung