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F E A T U R E

Big Fat Bandwidth

June 24, 2002
By Darrin Woods

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Executive Summary: Big Fat Bandwidth

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The battle for your high-speed Internet access business would be the classic David versus Goliath battle, except that David doesn't stand a chance. This is a story of 10-Gigabit Ethernet technology, running over fiber and supplied by a group of innovative but under-financed companies, to connect MANs nationwide. Meanwhile, local carriers and the Bell companies are using MPLS to enable ATM and Sonet to transport IP traffic. Ethernet solutions are, at least in theory, less expensive, easier to understand and more straightforward to deploy than the carrier-grade solutions; however, the players--companies such as Cogent Communications, IntelliSpace, Telseon and Yipes--are on shaky ground. They simply lack the resources of their deep-pocketed competitors and risk suffering the same fate that the DSL pioneers experienced--disappearance as the Bells and LECs move in with their own offerings.

Choosing a transport method for your biggest bandwidth needs will come down to your location, needs and risk aversion. The metro Ethernet providers operate solely in large multitenant buildings in major metropolitan areas, whereas the Bells and LECs provide services to a far wider range of spots. You may also balk at the idea of not knowing what will happen to your service if your metro Ethernet provider disappears one day.

We sent a request for information to eight companies--four carriers and four metro Ethernet providers--asking them to supply our fictional company with massive bandwidth. Despite repeated calls, only Genuity, a carrier, and Cogent Communications, a metro provider, sent written replies. We eventually gave our Editor's Choice award to Genuity. The two responses, gave us a chance to compare and contrast the different technologies.

Web Links

Building • "Living on the Largest Ball of Fiber" (Network Computing, Jan. 8, 2001)

• "Metro Ethernet Gains Momentum" (InternetWeek, July 30, 2001)