The Ethernet Alliance announced that twenty six of its member companies have joined its call for an IEEE 802.3 standard addressing 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5G) and 5 Gigabit Ethernet (5G) operation over today’s Cat 5e and Cat 6 cabling infrastructure.
The Ethernet Alliance notes that since 2003, some 70 billion meters of Cat 5e and Cat 6 cabling have been sold. While the existing cable infrastructure can’t support 10GbE, new 2.5G/5G BASE-T speeds can provide the necessary bandwidth upgrade to support the deployment of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, enabling customers to extract the maximum value from their infrastructure investment.
“The Ethernet Alliance is dedicated to promoting industry awareness of both existing and emerging IEEE 802 Ethernet standards. With this standardization endeavor targeting an estimated 90 percent of the installed cabling infrastructure, and deployment of IEEE 802.11ac technology, our upcoming webinar will provide the industry with an overview of IEEE 802.3 standardization efforts,” said John D’Ambrosia, chairman, Ethernet Alliance, and chief Ethernet evangelist, Dell. “We, like our members, believe that an IEEE 802.3 standard for 2.5G/5G BASE-T operation will accelerate its development and adoption, allowing the technology to proliferate and expand into new markets and applications.”
