The Ethernet Alliance has added AT&T, Cadence, Dell, FCI USA, NetApp and Verizon as member companies. The Alliance notes a growing interest in starting a standards effort to support 40 Gigabit Ethernet using a serial — or single-lane — physical layer optics device. Currently, IEEE P802.3ba Draft 2.0 supports 40 Gigabit Ethernet with a 4-lane parallel fiber approach for up to 100 m and with a 4-lambda wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) approach for up to 10 km.
Carriers and service providers have expressed a strong interest in a single-lane serial approach to permit them to more easily interface with their existing OTN and SONET/SDH network infrastructure. AT&T and Verizon have joined the Ethernet Alliance to help foster the incubation effort with Ethernet Alliance members. The Ethernet Alliance invites others in the industry with similar interests to contact the Ethernet Alliance to join this effort.
‘As a technology leader, Verizon recognizes the value the Ethernet Alliance brings to the standards community and fully supports their efforts to progress 40 Gigabit serial Ethernet standardization in conjunction with the IEEE,’ said Martin Carroll, distinguished member of the Verizon Technology staff.
