MEF strengthens APAC Carrier Ethernet push

Global industry alliance MEF has strengthened its Asia-Pacific operations with an aim to standardise Carrier Ethernet and accelerate adoption of related networks and services.

The group currently comprises 146 worldwide members, counting within its ranks 46 service providers and 20 members in the Asia-Pacific region including Telstra and Telecom Malaysia.

According to Nan Chen, President of MEF, Telstra is currently in the process of getting certified under MEF’s 20 technical specifications.

And while the alliance has yet to extend its reach to other Australian service providers, Chen expects groups such as Terria soon to “jump on the bandwagon” after Telstra.

“A lot of our partners are competitors, but we want to establish a collaborative environment,” Chen said.

“It’s historical in telecommunications, because [while] the equipment has always been certified, service providers have never been certified,” he said.

Chen described Carrier Ethernet as “the cheapest good enough technology” in the enterprise space, citing cost advantages over currently-used TDM network infrastructure.

In Australia, MEF has focussed its marketing efforts on the enterprise adoption of Carrier Ethernet, he said, noting that the alliance’s strategy for every country is different.

To support and educate enterprises and new purveyors of the technology, MEF this month launched an online Global Services Directory (GSD).

GSD users have access to data on service coverage and availability of certified and non-certified Carrier Ethernet services across the globe.

“It’s somewhat of a monumental step for us, because it’s the first time we have all the carrier Ethernet services in one place and users can search for it,” Chen said.

The directory is expected to benefit enterprise customers looking for services in different areas, as well as service providers planning extensive network upgrades

Currently, GSD features 16 of MEF’s 46 service provider members covering almost a thousand locations in Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.