Ikanos Communications, a developer of smart silicon for profitable broadband, announced today that Behrooz Rezvani, Ph.D, its founder and chief technology officer, has been elected editor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., (IEEE) draft standard for Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) over copper. The standard will describe the specifications for implementing Ethernet over the existing copper plant at speeds of at least 10 Mbps over a distance of at least 2,500 feet. In addition to Ikanos, a number of industry leaders are involved in developing the EFM over copper standard, including Alcatel, Cisco, and Intel.

"EFM over copper will be of great importance in the subscriber access network. It offers all the benefits of Ethernet, including low cost, network simplicity, bandwidth, scalability, the efficiency of a packet-based system, and ease of provisioning," said Dr. Rezvani. "The task of working with a broad-based industry team to bring the EFM over copper standard to fruition carries a lot of responsibility. The document we create must address the needs of both public and private networks for an Ethernet access solution that will stand the test of time."

Dr. Rezvani, an expert in high-speed system architecture and spectral compatibility, has extensive experience in the development of Very High Bit Rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL)-based products. He was also the editor of the governing document for xDSL coexistence, the Spectral Compatibility and Management standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (T1.417), which was used by the FCC when it addressed the issue of unbundling the local loop.

Ikanos Communications Inc.