Choosing your Metro Ethernet provider depends on what services you need for your particular situation. But the first order of business, is to have some kind of understanding of just what these providers do, and what an Ethernet connection is. To put it simply, it is a computer network that will connect businesses or personal subscribers within a metropolitan area. And it uses a standard known as Ethernet. Many large companies link their branch offices this way, connecting them by Metro Ethernet to their own intranet.
When it comes to providers, there are a few different types. Our first one is the Incumbent service provider. This is a service provider which handles local telephone services. It most usually acts as a monopoly. It can also deliver other services like Ethernet, ATM, Frame relay, and Private Line. These are services that are commonly used for connecting to business data.
After the Incumbent provider, we come to the Competitive service provider. This one was designed solely for making competition for the Incumbent providers. Their primary focus is with businesses. They deliver their services mainly through a fiber infrastructure. But a few providers will actually mix the fiber and the copper. And they lease their copper loops from Incumbent providers.
A Wholesale provider is one that will deliver services to other providers. The often will cater to large enterprises in need of a larger bandwidth service. They will sell Ethernet services as well as Private Line, or at times handle wavelengths. As far as the wavelengths and other services they may provide, the study this article was derived from provided no further reporting.
Next in line is the Carrier Ethernet provider. This is a type of service that is overtaking the Frame relay in popularity. This is mainly because it has the ability to operate in an independent fashion separate from the physical network. And it only needs one connection in order to be implemented. It is also making big strides as far as transport technology goes among metro networks. It delivers lower prices, simpler routing, and more scalability.
A goal for a metro provider is using Ethernet to deliver to businesses and subscribers, a more critically high speed bandwidth solution. For example, things like business connections, IPTV, and mobile video. These providers have loads of options for delivering services with competition being fierce among many companies who are on the breaking edge of new technology.
Should you find yourself in the market for an Ethernet provider, you will find there are many websites that contain mapping tools just for this purpose. The mapping tools give you the ability to input an address for a building, and they will produce for you the nearest Metro Ethernet providers to that particular address. Price quotes are also available here. If you are in need of a building with pre-existing services, or you plan to make an upgrade to your current service, these tools can be an invaluable asset.
Choosing your Metro Ethernet provider will largely depend on what your demands are for its use. There are many various services, and many available providers. You can find many companies offering their services by going online and using a search engine. Again, the competition is really fierce for your business, so shopping around and making price comparisons should yield some good results.
Reference:
- www.solveforce.com/ethernet-services.html
- solveforce.com/telecom-blog/2009/07/08/what-is-carrier-ethernet-and-why-do-we-need-it
- telecombits.com/ethernet.php
