Gigabit Ethernet Protocol










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Gigabit Ethernet
Protocol

by Candice Block Lombardi

Docid: 00016542

Publication Date: 1707

Report Type: STANDARD

Preview

The Ethernet protocol – also known as IEEE 802.3 – has been a standard
desktop, enterprise, and service provider backbone access method for more
than a generation. With skyrocketing data demands taxing existing networks
and Internet infrastructure, developers are still looking to Ethernet to
push networks to handle mobile, physical, cloud, streaming media, and
other data paths. As of 2017, with speeds in development ranging from
non-chronological rates of 2.5Gbps to 50Gbps to 400Gbps and higher,
Gigabit Ethernet protocols are branching out beyond the enterprise to
focus on fields such as automotive and interconnecting devices. In late
2016, a breakthrough in 2.5G and 5G Ethernet boosted the current top speed
of traditional Ethernet five-times without the need to remove current
cabling, which will help address emerging needs in platforms such as
enterprise and wireless networks.

Report Contents:

Executive Summary

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Corporations and
end-users have a constant need for more bandwidth to connect computers and power
applications across multiple platforms–including physical, virtual, cloud, and
mobile. As soon as one networking protocal arrives, a higher-speed alternative
is
already be in development to meet this demand.

Related
Faulkner Reports
Business Ethernet Market
Trends

Powering High Speed Networks. Gigabit Ethernet, or high-speed
Ethernet connectivity at 1,000,000,000 bits per second or greater, was
originally designed to power a higher-speed local area network (LAN) than
the original Ethernet standard released in 1980. Since its launch in the
1990s, Gigabit Ethernet has advanced to become not only an in-house
computer network standard but a carrier-grade standard to deliver
Internet access services. 

The standard has come a long way from the efforts to ramp up
bandwidth speeds averaging 10-Mbps. In 2014,
the Ethernet Alliance launched a 400GbE Subcommittee to meet what it
considered the "urgent" need to upgrade global networks, predicting that 1
Terabit-per-second (1TbE, or 1,000GbE) would be required to support global
data by 2015 and 10TbE by 2020.1

Evolution of Gigabit Standard. Ethernet’s evolution over the past 40 years
illustrates the constant development of networking standards. In the
mid-1990s, 10Mbps download speeds for desktop computers became
commonplace, and carriers worked to meet and exceed demand with the
Ethernet standard. When it became clear that Ethernet would become ubiquitous, vendors tried to
leverage the technology to support other applications. Thanks to this
development philosophy, companies could run Ethernet
from their desktops to servers and then to backbones without having to
utilize multiple protocols and connection types. The subsequent iteration
of the technology, "Fast Ethernet," which
operates at 100Mbps, first gained popularity in server farms where
companies linked groups of special purpose systems to complete specific
processing tasks, including serving as small and medium-sized backbone networks or
handling processing for desktops
where users work with complex graphic or video applications. Now it is the
norm for service to the desktop.

With the need for bandwidth outpacing Ethernet development and
diversification, as recently as 2014 the IEEE began development of four new speeds
(not
in chronological order from previous speeds due to the opening of new
transition lanes): 2.5 Gigabit per second (Gbps); 5 Gbps; 25 Gbps; and
400 Gbps Ethernet. The industry is also looking into 50Gb/s and 200 Gb/s
Ethernet.2
To continue this momentum, the Ethernet Alliance developed the 2015 Ethernet
Roadmap to clarify development of speeds, application spaces, and market
conditions, and is looking beyond 2020 to the development of 800 Gbps; 1 Terabyte per
second; 1.6 Tbps; 6.4 Tbps; and 10 Tbps Ethernet protocol.3

GigE has delivered on vendors’ expectations.
Once the standard was completed, both enterprises and startups quickly adopted GigE switches or added GigE
connections to their products. The protocoal quickly became a
prime player in the backbone network arena and surpassed asynchronous
transfer mode (ATM) to become the dominant backbone networking technique.
The subsequent emergence of GigE over copper, as well as 10Gbps transmissions over fiber for
wide
area network (WAN) connections, propelled Ethernet technology further
into the enterprise and into consumer homes as part of high-speed Internet
connection.

Table 1 summarizes the current GigE physical
layer standards.

Table 1. Gigabit Ethernet Physical Layer Standards
Ethernet Gigabit Speed Standard 802.5 Implementation Applications
1GbE 1998: Multimode Fiber
Cable
Single Mode Fiber Cable

1999: Category 5e or
Higher

2016: Single Twisted Pair Copper Cable

  • Upgrade from 100Mbps Ethernet
    using same frame format, protocol, and frame size.
  • Small-to-medium companies run
    Ethernet from desktop to servers, then to backbone networks in
    server farms.
  • 2016 protocal operates in harsh
    environments found in automotive and industrial applications
2.5GbE 2016: Twisted Pair System Enterprises and
campuses.
5GbE 2016: Twisted Pair System Enterprises and
campuses.
10GbE 2003: Laser Optimized
MMF Cable, Single mode fiber cable

2006: Category
6A Cabling

Suitable for Wide Area
Networks, Local Area Networks, and Metropolitan Area Networks.
25GbE 2016: Twisted Pair
System
Auto-negotiation
capabilities and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for data
center applications.
40GbE 2016:  Twisted Pair
System

Media Access for single-lane server and switch
interconnects for data centers.

Auto-negotiation
capabilities and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for data
center applications.

Single-lane server and switch
interconnects for data centers.

50GbE 2018-2020: Estimated
Completion
Suitable for Hyperscale
Data Centers, Wide Area
Networks, Local Area Networks, and Metropolitan Area Networks.
100GbE 2010: Laser-Optimized
MMF or SMF Cable (2015): Laser-Optimized MMF     
Larger service provider
backbone networks for the aggregation of network traffic.
400GbE (2017): Laser-Optimized MMF or SMF
  • Expected to meet the rising need for bandwidth
    growth.
  • Supports data from smartphones,
    tablets, Wi-Fi 3G/4G/LTE mobile deployments, 10 Gb/s servers,
    Internet enabled TV, cloud and its applications, social media,
    video calling, online gaming, new database technologies
    (automotive, industrial).
1 Terabit
Ethernet (1TbE)
(2020+) No current
projection
  • This desired
    standard currently is impeded by restrictions with current fiber optic
    cable capacity.
  • New light-modulation technology
    not advanced enough for commercial application.
  • Projected costs to develop new
    platform are currently prohibitive.

Description

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GigE is an extension of the highly
successful 10M-bps and 100M-bps Ethernet standards, and builds on the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) 802.3 Ethernet
standard. In November 1995, the IEEE 802.3 working group discussed the
feasibility of upgrading Fast Ethernet to a higher speed. After reviewing
various options on how to achieve 1000Mbps, the IEEE standards board
issued a Project Authorization Request (PAR) for the GigE protocol in June 1996.

Gigabit Ethernet. The GigE task force was born in July
1996, one month after the PAR was issued. The main objective of the task
force was to develop a standard that allows both half and full duplex
operation at 1000M bps and is backwardly compatible with 10BaseT and
100BaseT technologies. The new standard defined gigabit links that can be
used for interconnecting high performance servers and workstations, and
backbone connections between 100BaseT Fast Ethernet switches. This new
generation of Ethernet links was designed to provide 10 times the speed
of 100BaseT at much less than ten times the price.

The initial standard for gigabit Ethernet was ratified by the IEEE in
June 1998 as IEEE 802.3z, and required optical fiber. IEEE 802.3z is
commonly referred to as 1000BASE-X. There are 10 different physical layer
standards since the introduction of the original 802.3z gigabit Ethernet
using optical fiber (1000BASE-X).

While select vendors began
delivering GigE products in 1997, most waited until the standard was
ratified in 1998. Because Ethernet and Fast Ethernet were so
successful, vendors moved quickly to deliver such products. Table 2 summarizes the GigE physical layer standards.

Table 2. Gigabit
Ethernet Physical Layer
Standards
Name Physical medium Distance Specification
1000BASE-CX Twinaxial Cabling 25 meters
1000BASE-SX Multi-mode fiber 220 to 550 meters dependent on fiber
diameter (50 micron or 62.5 micron) and bandwidth
1000BASE-LX Multi-mode fiber 550 meters
1000BASE-LX Single-mode fiber 5 km
1000BASE-LX10 Single-mode fiber using 1,310 nm
wavelength
10 km
1000BASE-EX Single-mode fiber at 1,310 nm wavelength ~40 km
1000BASE-ZX Single-mode fiber at 1,550 nm
wavelength
~ 70 km
1000BASE-BX10 Single-mode fiber, over single-strand
fiber: 1,490 nm downstream 1,310 nm upstream
10 km
1000BASE-T Twisted-pair cabling (Cat5, Cat5e,
Cat6, or Cat7)
100 meters
1000BASE-TX Twisted-pair cabling (Cat6, Cat7) 100 meters
2.5GBASE-T Twisted-pairs (2016) Boosts the current top speed of
traditional Ethernet five-times without requiring the tearing out of
current cabling.
5GBASE-T Twisted-pairs (2016) Boosts the current top speed of
traditional Ethernet five-times without requiring the tearing out of
current cabling.
25GBASE-T Twisted-pairs (2016) Auto-negotiation
capabilities and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for data
center applications
40GBASE-T Twisted-pairs (2016) Auto-negotiation
capabilities and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for data
center applications

IEEE 802.3ab, ratified in 1999, defines gigabit Ethernet transmission
over unshielded twisted pair (UTP) category 5, 5e, or 6 cabling and became
known as 1000BASE-T. In a departure from both 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX,
1000BASE-T uses all four cable pairs for simultaneous transmission in both
directions through the use of echo cancellation and a 5-level pulse
amplitude modulation (PAM-5) technique.

With the ratification of 802.3ab, gigabit Ethernet became a desktop
technology with which organizations could use their existing copper
cabling infrastructure.

For many, GigE was still not fast enough. In June 2002, a
standard for 10GbE over fiber, designated 802.3ae, was ratified, and
quickly became the new standard for more than two dozen companies. Unlike previous
versions of Ethernet, 10GbE is full duplex, so does not support CSMA/CD.

IEEE 802.3ah, ratified in 2004 added two more Gigabit fiber standards,
1000BASE-LX10 (which was already widely implemented as vendor specific
extension) and 1000BASE-BX10. This was part of a larger group of protocols
known as Ethernet in the First Mile.

10GbE. In April 2003, the IEEE approved a
project to add copper physical media to 802.3ae 10GbE. IEEE P802.3ak,
"Physical Layer and Management Parameters for 10 Gb/s Operation, Type
10GBASE-CX4," allowed for a copper physical medium in conjunction with the
IEEE 802.3ae standard for 10GbE networks. It provided a lower-cost option for
interconnecting equipment located within about 15 m of fiber optic cable,
typically within a stack or between equipment racks. In addition, late in
2010, a separate IEEE study group, many of whose members worked on
1000Base-T, began work on 10GBase-T, which will support
10-Gigabit Ethernet over 25 to 100 meters of standard twisted-pair
cable.

There are two significant differences between 10 GbE and lower- speed
Ethernet standards. The first is the inclusion of support for a long-haul (40
kms) optical transceiver. It can be used as either a LAN interface or a WAN
interface when building MANs. The second is a WAN physical interface that allows
10 GbE to be transported across existing OC-192 SONET networks. This interface
includes a SONET framer and operates at a data rate compatible with OC-192c/SDH
VC-4-64c specifications.

Standards introduced in 2016 include IEEE 802.3bp,

IEEE 802.3bq, IEEE 802.3br, and IEEE 802.3by. Table 3 traces the key evolution of the

standard from its inception to the present.

Table 3. 
GbE Standards

IEEE Standard

Description

State

802.3ae-2002

Defines

802.3 Media Access Control (MAC) parameters and minimal augmentation of its

operation, physical layer characteristics, and management parameters for

transfer of LLC and Ethernet format frames at 10G bps using full duplex

operation as defined in the 802.3 standard.

Incorporates

the use of -SR, -LR, -ER, and -LX4 optical fiber to connect network nodes

and switch ports.

Initial

Standard

802.3ah-2004

Defines 802.3 the use of 10 GbE in the first or last mile

(access network). The amendment supports Voice Grade Copper, long wavelength

single fiber, and point-to-multipoint fiber. Also called Ethernet in the

First Mile (EFM).

Augments 802.3ae-2002

802.3ak-2004

Adds

a copper Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) option for 10 GbE operation,

building upon the existing 10GBASE-CX4 Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) and 10

Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI) specifications.

Accommodates

the use of -CX4 copper InfiniBand cabling.

Augments 802.3ae-2002

802.3-2005

Specifies Ethernet

LAN operation for selected speeds of operation from 1M bps to

10G bps using a common Media Access Control (MAC) specification, Management

Information Base (MIB), and capability for Link Aggregation of multiple

physical links into a single logical link.

Supersedes 802.3ae-2002 & 802.3ae-2002 Revisions

802.3an-2006

Specifies

a new Physical Coding Sublayer interface and new Physical Medium

Attachment sublayer interface for 10 GbE Ethernet.

Accommodates

the use of copper twisted-pair cabling (also known as “10GBASET”,

“Category 6”, or “Cat 6” cable.

Augments 802.3-2005

802.3ap-2007

Includes

the new Clause 69 through Clause 74. Clause 69 provides an overview of

Ethernet operation over electrical backplanes. Clause 70 through

Clause 72 define three new PMDs developed for operation over electrical

backplanes. Clause 73 specifies an Auto-Negotiation function for use

over electrical backplanes. Finally, Clause 74 specifies an optional

forward error correction (FEC) sublayer for 10GBASE-R PHYs for improved link

performance.

Accommodates

the use of -KR and -KX4 copper backplane.

Augments 802.3-2005

802.3aq-2006

Specifies

a new PMD, 10GBASE-LRM, for serial, 10 GbE operation over up to 220 ms of

62.5 5m and 50 5m multimode fiber, including installed, FDDI-grade

multimode fiber.

Accommodates

the use of -LRM fiber with improved signaling.

Augments 802.3-2005

802.3-2008

Specifies Ethernet

LAN operation for selected speeds of operation from 1M bps to

10G bps using a common Media Access Control (MAC) specification and Management

Information Base (MIB). The Carrier Sense Multiple Access with

Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) MAC protocol specifies shared medium (half

duplex) operation, as well as full-duplex operation. Speed specific

Media Independent Interfaces (MIIs) allow use of selected Physical Layer

devices (PHY) for operation over coaxial, twisted pair, or fiber-optic

cables. System considerations for multi-segment shared access networks

describe the use of Repeaters, which are defined for operational speeds up to

1000M bps. LAN operation is supported at all

speeds. Other specified capabilities include: various PHY types for

access networks, PHYs suitable for MAN applications,

and the provision of power-over-selected twisted pair PHY types.

Current Standard

Supersedes 802.3-2005 & 802.3-2005 Revisions

802.3az-2010
Defines a mechanism to reduce power consumption during

periods of low link utilization for the following PHYs:

  • 100BASE-TX (Full Duplex)

  • 1000BASE-T (Full Duplex)

  • 10GBASE-T

  • 10GBASE-KR

  • 10GBASE-KX4

  • 1000BASE-KX
Augments 802.1D, 802.1Q and 802

802.3bd-2011

An upgrade path for IEEE 802.3 users, based on the IEEE

802.3 MAC. It defines a MAC Control Frame to support 802.1Qbb Priority-based

Flow Control.

Amendment to existing Standard 802.3-2008

802.3bf-2011

Standard for Information technology–Telecommunications and

information exchange between systems–Local and metropolitan area networks.

It extends the Media Access Control service interface and add management

parameters to provide support for the IEEE 802.1AS time synchronization

protocol.

Amendment to existing Standard 802.3-2008

802.3bg-2011

Defines a 40 Gb/s serial PMD that supports a link distance of at least 2km

over single-mode fiber that is optically compatible with existing carrier

40Gb/s client interfaces (OTU3/STM-256/OC-768/40G Packet over SONET (POS),

which enables interconnection between equipment in carrier networks or as

uplink interconnections from enterprises, data centers, or other network

operators into carrier networks.

Amendment to existing Standard 802.3-2008

802.3-2012

Current version of the standard. Ethernet local

area network operation is specified for selected speeds of operation from 1

Mb/s to 100 Gb/s using a common media access control (MAC) specification and

management information base (MIB).

Latest Version

802.3.1-2013

The MIB module specifications for

IEEE Std 802.3TM are contained in this standard. It includes the Structure

of Management Information Version 2 (SMIv2) MIB module specifications, as

well as extensions resulting from amendments to IEEE Std 802.3. The SMIv2

MIB modules are intended for use with the Simple Network Management Protocol

(SNMP).

Amendment for existing Standard 802.3-2012

802.3bk-2013

Defines the

physical layer specifications and management parameters for EPON operation

on point-to-multipoint passive optical networks supporting extended power

budget classes of PX30, PX40, PRX40, and PR40 PMDs.

Amendment to existing standard 802.3-2012

802.3bj-2014

Defines specifications for 100
Gb/s Backplane and Copper Cable.

Amendment to existing standard 802.3bk-2013.

802.3bp-2016

Defines the physical layer specifications (including optional
single-pair autonegotiation and Energy Efficient Ethernet) and
parameters for Operation over a Single Twisted Pair Copper Cable: full-duplex 1 Gb/s Ethernet operating in harsh
environments found in automotive and industrial applications.

Amendment

802.3bq-2016

Defines physical layer and
management parameters for 25 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s Operation, Types 25GBASE-T and
40GBASE-T, opens the door to higher-speed 25 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s twisted pair
solutions with auto-negotiation capabilities and Energy Efficient Ethernet
(EEE) support for data center applications.

Amendment

 

802.3br-2016

Defines the specification and
management parameters for interspersing express traffic, addresses the needs
of industrial control system manufacturers and the automotive market by
specifying a pre-emption methodology for time-sensitive traffic.

Amendment

 

802.3by-2016

Defines media access control
parameters, physical layers and management parameters for 25 Gb/s operation,
introduces cost-optimized 25 Gb/s PHY specifications for single-lane server
and switch interconnects for data centers.

Amendment

 

In 2007, the IEEE 802.3 working group formed the Higher Speed Study Group

(HSSG), which found that the Ethernet ecosystem needed something faster than 10 GbE. The HSSG

determined that computing and network aggregation applications were growing at

different rates, requiring different speeds. These are:

  • 40G bps for server and computing applications

  • 100G bps for network aggregation applications

As a result, the IEEE 802.3ba 40G-bps and 100G-bps standard was ratified in

June 2010.

40/100GbE. The 40/100 GbE standard includes:

  • Support for full-duplex operation.
  • Preservation of the 802.3 Ethernet frame format using the 802.3 media access controller (MAC).
  • Preservation of minimum and maximum frame size of current 802.3 standard.
  • Support for a bit error rate (BER) better than or equal to 10-12 at the MAC/physical layer service interface.
  • Provision for appropriate support for optical transport network

    (OTN).

  • Support for a MAC data rate of 40G bps.
    • Provision of physical layer specifications supporting 40G-bps operation over:
      • at least 10 kms on single mode fiber (SMF)
      • at least 100 ms on OM3 multi-mode fiber (MMF)
      • at least 10 ms over a copper cable assembly
      • at least 1 m over a backplane
  • Support for a MAC data rate of 100G bps.

    • Provision of physical layer specifications that support 100G-bps operation over:

      • at least 40 kms on SMF

      • at least 10 kms on SMF

      • at least 100 ms on OM3 MMF

      • at least 10 ms over a copper
        cable assembly

400GbE. The 400GbE standard was submitted by the Ethernet Alliance and
IEEE 400G Ethernet group to the IEE 802 Plenary in Beijing in March 2014. This
marked the first phase of project documentation related to physical layer
standards.4

Terabit Ethernet. The urgent need for 1TbE
(1,000GbE) is in discussions, but its introduction is not entirely practical due to restrictions
inherent in
current fiber optic cable capacity.

Standards for Automotive and Networked Devices (1G bps,
25G bps, and 40G bps).
IEEE workgroups are focused on branching out Ethernet into
untapped sectors.5 In 2016, standards released included updates to previous speeds,
as well as new speeds and target markets:

  • 1 Gb/s Ethernet, IEEE 802.3bp, for Operation over a Single Twisted
    Pair Copper Cable

    • Physical layer specifications (including optional
      single-pair autonegotiation and Energy Efficient Ethernet) and
      parameters for full-duplex 1 Gb/s Ethernet operating in harsh
      environments found in automotive and industrial applications.

  • 25 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s, Types 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T,
    IEEE 802.3bq

    • Higher-speed twisted pair systems with auto-negotiation capabilities
      and Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for data center
      applications.

  • IEEE 802.3br, “Standard for Ethernet Amendment Specification and
    Management Parameters for Interspersing Express Traffic”, addresses the
    needs of industrial control system manufacturers and the automotive market
    by specifying a pre-emption methodology for time-sensitive traffic.

  • 25 Gb/s, IEEE 802.3by, cost-optimized 25 Gb/s specifications
    for single-lane server and switch interconnects for data centers.

Competing Standards
and Protocols

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of this report]

GbE’s initial thrust was towards backbone connections, an
area where customers have other options, such as Asynchronous Transfer
Mode (ATM) or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). No product
is right for every situation and the proper selection depends on company
specific information, such as the applications flowing over its network,
and its budget.

The WAN is an area where ATM’s performance found many
adherents. This network
option offered significant benefits compared to the Time Division
Multiplexer (TDM) systems traditionally used for such connections. ATM
enables carriers to use bandwidth more efficiently and provide Quality of
Service (QoS) features to important applications, but today Internet
Protocol networks have become ubiquitous, and with their adoption, ATM’s
market position began to decline. The same thing is not true in the MAN or WAN where true competitive

technologies exist. Some of the technologies, such as ATM and SONET, are aging

and are being replaced, but optical technologies exist that match 10 GbE and

40G-/100G-bps architectures for throughput and cost. These include:

  • SONET/SDH – – Developed by Bellcore and standardized by the American
    National Standards Institute (ANSI), SONET served as the

    preferred standard for WANs, carrying large volumes of voice and data traffic

    over a single fiber-optic cable. The current upper limit for SONET/SDH

    throughput is OC-192, which provides for a 9.6G-bps payload. OC-192 has been

    deployed in backbone networks but not in links to the backbone, which top out

    at OC-48 with a payload of 2.4G bps. OC-768 and OC-3072 have been defined but

    neither has been deployed in commercial networks. OC-3072 would provide a

    payload of approximately 160G bps.

  • Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) – As originally developed,

    WDM refers to the optical transmission technique in which multiple optical

    signals are transmitted on a single optical fiber using different wavelengths

    between two switches. DWDM, a higher capacity version of WDM, is used for

    systems that support 16 channels or more. DWDM serves as a multiplier in

    adding more data channels to existing optical fibers. While the capabilities

    of DWDM are impressive, the technology requires expensive components. 10G-bps

    DWDM is in the testing stage and is expected to be deployed in service

    provider networks to connect high-powered data centers. It is not expected

    that 10G DWDM will be used in customer facing applications.

  • Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing (CWDM) – Formalized in 2004 by the

    IEEE, CWDM is usually used for shorter distances than DWDM, such as in MANs.

    The average CWDM system produces laser emissions on eight channels at eight

    defined wavelengths, although the technology does allow for up to 18 different

    channels. Since the channels in a CWDM system are spread out over a larger

    range of wavelengths, low-cost lasers can be used, making it less expensive

    than DWDM. Lower precision lasers and lower power requirements also help keep

    costs down.

  • Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexing (ROADM) – Allows

    wavelengths to be remotely added and dropped at each network node in a

    WDM-based network. Network service providers can control the direction and

    flow of infrared and visible light transmissions within a range of

    wavelengths. ROADM makes it unnecessary to translate traffic from optical to

    electrical at termination points. ROADM can provide simplified optical power

    balancing, wavelength monitoring, wavelength provisioning, and add/drop

    flexibility features.

  • Passive Optical Networking (PON) – A PON is an all-optical network

    that uses only passive optical components, such as fibers, couplers,

    wavelength routers, and filters, as opposed to active networks, and brings the

    optical fiber cabling and signals most of the way to the end user. A PON can

    be used for local loop and FTTx deployments. PONs have no power requirements

    and have no electronic parts. PONs were developed partially to allow the cost

    of the deployment to be shared among subscribers.

Current View

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Gigabit Ethernet is now integral to enterprise and
consumer products, as well as home networking. In fact, most
higher-end home routers, both wired-only and those offering Wi-Fi, now
incorporate at least 1Gbps Ethernet port. Several factors are at work that
should drive growth, including:

  • Commercial use of multi-core CPUs with multi-threaded networking stacks.
  • 10 GbE allows for the

    aggregation of terabits network traffic, without increasing the complexity of

    the network deployments in the

    data center.

  • Increasing use of server virtualization

    and the demands for network bandwidth per physical

    server.

  • Introduction of ROADM- and PON -based networks by

    service providers, allowing for faster access and MAN networks by

    aggregating data transport.

Task forces are working to finalize 400G
Ethernet standards; diversify channels to offer 2.5G, 5G, 25G, and 50G
speeds; and consider what the future holds for Ethernet.6 As of
2016, IEEE workgroups are focused on branching out into sectors such as
automotive and interconnecting devices to support the "Internet of
Things."7 In late 2016, a breakthrough in 2.5G and 5G
boosted the current top speed of traditional Ethernet five-times without
the need to remove current cabling, which will help address
emerging needs in platforms such as enterprise and wireless networks.8

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References

About the Author

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Candice Block Lombardi

has tracked and written about enterprise
software and security, the IT services sector, telecommunications, and
data networking. She is a frequent contributor to Faulkner’s information
services.

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