Carrier Ethernet

Carrier Ethernet

Carrier Ethernet (CE) is carrier grade Ethernet.

It provides the determinism of a circuit based network, like TDM, while retaining the flexibility and low cost of Ethernet. CE enables service providers to construct a single, general-purpose Ethernet infrastructure that delivers the full range of access and aggregation applications, with a high quality of service.

Deterministic CE connections deliver guaranteed bandwidth, in addition to the tightest possible latency and jitter performance, 50ms automatic protection switching, and precision fault management. This type of connection also allows for statistical multiplexing and oversubscription. CE does for Ethernet, what SONET did for DS1 and DS3 networking.

Ethernet started out as a best effort protocol for the LAN. It has since evolved to become the dominant connection protocol for carriers in the WAN, too. The Metro Ethernet Forum standards have been evolving since at least 2006, with the last major evolution in Metro Ethernet now finding its way into the marketplace under the Carrier Ethernet 2.0 (CE 2.0) certification.

Carrier Ethernet Networks, now supported by all the top vendors, utilize equipment that leverages the heritage of Ethernet in the LAN, while extending it with features that make Ethernet useful in mission-critical transport networks. These extensions, predominantly covered in the IEEE 802.1a and 802.3 sets of standards, include enhanced scalability and OAM capabilities. Carrier Ethernet supports features needed in a transport network such as connectivity verification, rapid recovery and performance measurement. Carrier Ethernet can be transported by variety of means – SONET, IP/MPLS and OTN.

Using traditional TDM and SONET backbones, service providers have taken days and weeks to establish wide area networks for new customers and make subsequent changes. Since Carrier Ethernet connects using Ethernet plugs and sockets, new customers can be hooked up to Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and other Ethernet interfaces in a much shorter time.