3:05 PM -- Amazingly, the annual Ethernet Europe show that Light Reading hosts each year in London is almost with us again. Last year's event ended with a massive bang -- the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano near Iceland that closed a hefty chunk of north European airspace.

Now there's more potentially explosive action, with the arrival in Europe (at this year's event on April 12 and 13) of the much sought-after and hard-drinking Etherman action doll, and some key decisions to be made about the role of Ethernet services exchanges in operator strategies.

The Etherman doll is a must. No self-respecting service provider headquarters should be without one. He may be small and soft, but Etherman packs a punch.

Where the real heat and explosive fissures might occur is in the debates and decisions around the development and growth of the Ethernet exchanges, where the likes of CENX Inc. , Equinix Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) and Telx Group Inc. are fighting for the attention, and business, of the network players.

At last year's event, it was a battle of words and claims among the players, as each of them looked to win bragging rights and be regarded as a thought leader in the Ethernet exchange arena. Now, though, the battle is for signatures, physical connections and real revenues. And that should up the ante and make for some real market heat.

And the thing is, the large Ethernet service providers can only step back and watch for so long. If they rely on their unilateral interconnections for too long, they may find themselves outwitted and outsmarted by some of the more nimble players. Because soon the emerging exchanges will achieve enough scale and reach that a small regional player with smart marketing and a hungry CFO will sign up, hook into the system and start mixing it with the big boys.

And then we'll find out which of the Ethernet service providers can deliver against their PowerPoint promises.

Find out about all the event's service provider and technology speakers, and the key themes of the show, by reading the latest update from Stan "Etherman" Hubbard, our resident Ethernet industry guru. (See Ethernet Europe Touts Service Provider Speakers.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading

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Interested in learning more on this topic? Then come to Ethernet Europe 2011, a two-day Light Reading and Heavy Reading conference and sponsor showcase. To be staged in London, April 12 and 13, admission is free for attendees meeting our prequalification criteria. For more information, or to register, click here.

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