Vitesse® - Making Next Generation Networks a Reality

Over the years, Ethernet has evolved to enable data communications at increasingly higher speeds over both copper and fiber media. This very adaptability and portability over various transport technologies has made Ethernet the de facto standard for IP connectivity in the enterprise setting.

Exponential growth in demand for bandwidth-intensive services is now driving new industry standards to enable widespread deployment of Ethernet-based technologies. Faced with enormous capacity and transport challenges, carriers must now transition their infrastructures to Ethernet over existing and emerging transport technologies.

Fortunately, Carrier Ethernet is a means by which service providers can cost-effectively operate Ethernet as a WAN and MAN technology. It is essentially an adaptation of traditional LAN Ethernet to provide the same features and functions, such as scalability and reliability, which have traditionally been provided by "telecom" protocols such as SONET/SDH.

The data-handling capabilities of the network enabled by Carrier Ethernet allow service providers to more readily provision new, revenue-generating, high-bandwidth services such as VoIP, IPTV, high-speed Internet, and business-class Ethernet services to homes and businesses.