Metro Ethernet

What is Metro Ethernet?

Metro Ethernet, illustrated in Figure 1, functions as an Ethernet transport network, offering point-to-point or multipoint connectivity services across a metropolitan area network (MAN). It’s a cost-effective, scalable way to connect multiple locations across a city or urban area. Originally designed for local area networks (LANs), Ethernet had limited range and capacity. Over time, Ethernet evolved into a substitute for low-speed WAN technologies.

Service Provider Metro Ethernet Network

What’s Metro Ethernet Used for?

Businesses, residential users, and mobile subscribers opt for Ethernet services provided by service providers due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and ease of use. Service providers leverage Metro Ethernet for:

• Interconnect business offices or data centres.

• Connect business sites or individuals to the internet.

• Connect business sites to cloud services.

• Provide IPTV, video conferencing and other collaboration tools via multicasting.

• Provide wholesale mobile backhaul services.

Benefits of Metro Ethernet

Metro Ethernet offers several advantages over traditional wide area networks, including:

• Flexibility: Metro Ethernet caters to a range of topologies and setups, accommodating diverse traffic types like voice, data, and video.

• Reliability: Metro Ethernet offers Quality of Service for critical applications and incorporates Ethernet for direct problem solving.

• Cost Effectiveness/Ease of Use: Networks are less complicated and easier to maintain than WAN networks, reducing equipment and operating costs.

• Quality of Service (QoS): Supports QoS features, such as classification, marking, policing, queuing, and scheduling.

• Scalability：Metro Ethernet commonly employ fiber optic cabling and can be scaled up to 10Gbps without the need for substantial infrastructure upgrades.

• High-speed: Metro Ethernet delivers ample bandwidth, ensuring rapid connectivity with minimal latency.

How does Metro Ethernet work?

Metro Ethernet employs switches and routers, typically linked via fiber optic cables, to establish either point-to-point (P2P) or point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network configurations.

A Metro Ethernet network consists of:

• A core network, typically employing multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), which directs data between nodes using optimized paths for enhanced speed.

• An aggregation/distribution network, which may utilize passive optical networks, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or microwave technology to relay data to end users.

• Access devices, such as optical network terminals or office routers, which establish connections with an end user's devices.