Because of its highly attractive cost points and high-performance capabilities in a broadband infrastructure, Ethernet is being eyed by service providers as the packet-based solution of choice for metro networks.

However, the metro presents specific challenges in both scaling and traffic engineering while meeting customers' ever-increasing bandwidth demands. Providers require predictable network behavior and operational simplicity from a widely scalable, highly available solution that supports both residential (triple-play) and business (Ethernet VPN) services.

Recent innovations, specific to these provider aspects of Ethernet and currently under standardization, indicate connection management can be added quite simply. This produces an infrastructure with the deterministic behavior providers are used to, the scalability they require, and the OA&M they expect.

This session will describe these innovations, and how they position Ethernet as a suitable convergence technology for providers looking to migrate from circuit- to packet-based metro infrastructures.

David Allan Senior Advisor, Strategy and Architecture, CTO Office Nortel

Mr. Allan has been active in data telecommunications standards for the past 10 years, including Working Group chair roles in the DSL Forum and the IETF. He has been active as an architect, design engineer and developer in diverse areas of technology, ranging from process control to financial transaction processing for more than 25 years. In his current role at Nortel, he is focused on MPLS and Ethernet standards.

Bill Bjorkman Senior Technical Consultant Verizon Communications

Mr. Bjorkman works on the deployment of next-generation Ethernet services and carrier-class Ethernet networks. He has more than 20 years of experience in high-speed data and digital transmission networks. Previously, Mr. Bjorkman was director of system technology in Nokia Telecommunications and director of broadband data services in NYNEX Science and Technology. He is a frequent contributor to Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) technical specifications, editor of MEF 6 (Ethernet services definitions technical specification) and co-chair of the MEF Technical Committee.

Harminder Gill Senior Director, Technology Development and Product Management Bell West

Mr. Gill was appointed to his current position after Bell Canada's acquisition of Group Telecom from 360networks in November 2004. He joined 360networks in 1999. As vice president, network architecture, he led the 360networks technology team in designing a leading-edge global carrier network. In previous positions, Mr. Gill led teams responsible for deploying a large-scale ILEC ADSL network, designing a carrier IP/ATM network, and designing and provisioning wide-area enterprise data networks.

Alan McGuire Principal Engineer BT Laboratories

Mr. McGuire has been involved in network architecture, statistical networking, optical networks, SDH, network management, and control plane technologies since joining BT. He manages a team responsible for current and next-generation Ethernet systems. Mr. McGuire has represented BT in a number of standards bodies and has been editor of a number of ITU-T recommendations. He is a chartered engineer, chartered physicist, member of the Institute of Physics, and senior member of the IEEE.