honeytech

Just as gigabit Ethernet starts making its way into the mainstream, the Ethernet Alliance today announced the next jump in networking. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.3 Higher Speed Study Group (HSSG) voted to support 100 Gb/s as the next speed. In addition, the IEEE 802.3 HSSG also agreed to support reaches of at least 100 meters on OM3 MMF (multimode fiber) and of at least 10km on SMF (single-mode fiber).

“While 100G Ethernet has been touted in the press, the HSSG took the time to hear presentations and discuss the next speed jump. Ultimately, it was perceived that the ROI requirements would be balanced by the investment in the 10x increase in speed. The decision by the group continues to validate the industry’s belief in Ethernet’s long tradition of increasing speed in increments of 10x,” said Lucinda Borovick, Director, Datacenter Networks, IDC.

With the boom of so-called Web 2.0 companies such as YouTube there is an increasing demand for advancements in network technology, which is where 100G Ethernet fits in. Of course, this news only marks the approval to look towards 100G. The next step is to investigate the feasibility of accomplishing such a feat which is more difficult.