Understanding where they fit is, therefore, essential for
both Service Providers and enterprise end users alike and equips them to choose the
right solution or solutions (in fact, as the few real-life examples described illustrate, it
is not uncommon for several Carrier Ethernet solutions to be employed in complementary
roles by a single Service Provider1). This task is often considerably more complex
given the plethora of options that they (appear to)2 typically have.
The second section of this chapter attempts3 to deduce the possible evolution of Carrier
Ethernet and its underlying delivery mechanisms over a span of the next few years.
Emerging activities in the standards bodies, technological advancements, applications,
demand, competition, and substitutes are some of the considerations that are extrapolated
to get a reasonable picture of the future.
1 As usual, this Service Provider may use several Network Operators??™ networks to deliver the service.
2 Even though it may appear that there are numerous options available, there are usually fewer that
are actually optimally suited for a particular Service Provider??™s (or an Enterprise??™s) circumstance.
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