Going back to earlier blogs, you may recall my association of flexible IP networks with Ethernet an increasingly popular access type.
Although a key benefit of our private IP Solutions is access flexibility, providing customers ultimate choice in terms of bandwidth and SLA on a per site basis, I do predict something of a “polarisation” in IP access occurring in the next few years.
Lets discuss this having a look at Telstra IP Solutions access (yes, I know I spent too long on the colours)
Although a wide range of access types is available into Telstra IP Solutions, my prediction is that new customer demand will polarise in coming years to Fibre Based Ethernet, Copper Based Ethernet, ADSL and Cellular Wireless (NextG™).
Ethernet is a standard for transmission of information within local area networks (LANs), such as office networks, but in the last few years Ethernet has morphed into a popular form of transmission for wide area network (WAN) connectivity.
Why?. Ethernet is a cheap and simple physical interface (look at the LAN cord plugging into the back of your PC) and scalable with “gigabit Ethernet” providing 1Gbit/s second transmission rates on optical fibre over distances of several kilometres.
Telstra was early to seize on the WAN opportunity for Ethernet releasing our IPMAN product (at the time named “Wideband IP”) accompanied by a Layer 2 Transparent LAN variant, Telstra Ethernet MAN, in 1999. Today, Ethernet is our most popular new access type into IP networks with the fibre based products, IPMAN/Ethernet MAN, supplemented by a copper based Ethernet presentation via our Business DSL product.
Ethernet as a WAN technology continues to evolve. In a customer offering sense, approaches such as EFMC (Ethernet First Mile Copper) supports a full VLAN (Virtual LAN) backhaul onto a copper based Ethernet service. An MPLS variant, VPLS (Virtual Private LAN Service) introduces the concept of a fully meshed Ethernet VPN (Layer 2 VPN). Telstra’s Next Generation Network (NGN) has as a key plank an Ethernet based Aggregation Network, the list goes on.
Ethernet is now a “prime time” WAN technology which will in my opinion dominate fixed IP access requirements with Cellular Wireless (eg: NextG™) servicing roaming user access requirements. Internet grade ADSL type access will remain providing a good ”price vs. performance” option for customer sites of a less critical nature.
This of course does not mean the end in any sense for robust access types such as Frame Relay and ATM which will be re-platformed under NGN. These accesses have provided a reliable foundation for business data networks that will continue, but IP connectivity and Ethernet access are “hotting up”.
Where do you guys want me to go next? The increasingly convergent business applications upon which IP/Ethernet is the connectivity/access enabler?, NGN?, let me know !!!!