21. Essentially, this segment of the market is comprised of a
much larger number of (relatively smaller) end customers as compared to the initially
Carrier Ethernet 93
addressed market represented by the top of the pyramid. Addressing the needs of this
customer base economically is, therefore, a prerequisite to fueling Carrier Ethernet
toward becoming a true mass market service. There are, however, several??”some
unique??”challenges to addressing this segment of the market. These and other issues
are discussed next, followed by an overview of the industry response.
Current Challenges in Delivering Carrier Ethernet
The challenges in delivering Carrier Ethernet, especially to the SMEs, are noted in the
different studies depicted in Figure 2.21. The key issues are distilled in the sections
that follow.
Availability of Carrier Ethernet Services While SMEs are increasingly aware of the benefits
of Ethernet services, a big issue is the availability of such services. Specifically, the
following issues pose a barrier to subscribing to Carrier Ethernet services.
Fiber Availability Carrier Ethernet services are being delivered significantly in a
native fashion over a fiber infrastructure.
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