Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) refers to using one of the
Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
family of
computer network
A computer network is a set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes. The computers use common communication protocols over digital interconnections to communicate with each other. These interconnections are ...
technologies between a telecommunications company and a customer's premises. From the customer's point of view, it is their first mile, although from the
access network
An access network is a type of telecommunications network which connects subscribers to their immediate service provider. It is contrasted with the core network, which connects local providers to one another. The access network may be further ...
's point of view it is known as the
last mile.
A working group of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
(IEEE) produced the standards known as IEEE 802.3ah-2004, which were later included in the overall standard
IEEE 802.3-2008
IEEE 802.3 is a working group and a collection standards defining the physical layer and data link layer's media access control (MAC) of wired Ethernet. The standards are produced by the working group of Institute of Electrical and Electronics E ...
.
Although it is often used for businesses, it can also be known as Ethernet to the home (ETTH). One family of standards known as Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) uses a
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
.
History
With
wide
WIDE or Wide may refer to:
*Wide (cricket)
*Wide and narrow data, terms used to describe two different presentations for tabular data
*WIDE Project, Widely Integrated Distributed Environment
*Wide-angle Infinity Display Equipment
*WIDE-LP, a radio ...
,
metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
, and
local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
s using various forms of Ethernet, the goal was to eliminate non-native transport such as Ethernet over
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a telecommunications standard defined by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ITU-T (formerly CCITT) for digital transmission of multiple types of traffic. ATM was developed to meet the needs of ...
(ATM) from access networks.
One early effort was the EtherLoop technology invented at
Nortel
Nortel Networks Corporation (Nortel), formerly Northern Telecom Limited, was a Canadian multinational telecommunications and data networking equipment manufacturer headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in Montreal, Quebec, ...
Networks in 1996, and then spun off into the company Elastic Networks in 1998.
Its principal inventor was Jack Terry. The hope was to combine the packet-based nature of Ethernet with the ability of
digital subscriber line
Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric di ...
(DSL) technology to work over existing telephone access wires. The name comes from
local loop
In telephony, the local loop (also referred to as the local tail, subscriber line, or in the aggregate as the last mile) is the physical link or circuit that connects from the demarcation point of the customer premises to the edge of the common ...
, which traditionally describes the wires from a telephone company office to a subscriber. The protocol was
half-duplex
A duplex communication system is a point-to-point system composed of two or more connected parties or devices that can communicate with one another in both directions. Duplex systems are employed in many communications networks, either to allow ...
with control from the provider side of the loop. It adapted to line conditions with a peak of 10 Mbit/s advertised, but 4-6 Mbit/s more typical, at a distance of about .
Symbol rate
In a digitally modulated signal or a line code, symbol rate, modulation rate or baud rate is the number of symbol changes, waveform changes, or signaling events across the transmission medium per unit of time. The symbol rate is measured in ''b ...
s were 1 mega
baud
In telecommunication and electronics, baud (; symbol: Bd) is a common unit of measurement of symbol rate, which is one of the components that determine the speed of communication over a data channel.
It is the unit for symbol rate or modulatio ...
or 1.67 megabaud, with 2, 4, or 6 bits per symbol.
The EtherLoop product name was registered as a trademark in the US and Canada. The EtherLoop technology was eventually purchased by Paradyne Networks in 2002, which was in turn purchased by
Zhone Technologies
DZS, formerly Zhone Technologies and DASAN Zhone Solutions, is a provider of telecommunications networking equipment founded in 1999. It is headquartered in Plano. DZS is ISO 9001:2008 certified in the manufacture and service of telecommunicat ...
in 2005.
Another effort was the concept promoted by
Michael Silverton Michael Silverton is an American computer scientist.
Biography
Silverton built the first all-optical Ethernet in the first mile networks in Palo Alto, California in 1999 to 2000, as the result of research and work that first began in 1991 in Phoeni ...
of using Ethernet variants that used
fiber optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Fiber is pref ...
to residential as well as business customers. This was an example of what has become known as
fiber to the home
Fiber to the ''x'' (FTTX; also spelled "fibre") or fiber in the loop is a generic term for any broadband network architecture using optical fiber to provide all or part of the local loop used for last mile telecommunications. As fiber opt ...
(FTTH). The Fiberhood Networks company provided this service from 1999 to 2001.
Some early products around the year 2000, were marketed as
10BaseS
Long Reach Ethernet (LRE) was a proprietary networking protocol marketed by Cisco Systems, intended to support multi-megabit (5 to 15 Mbit/s) performance over telephone-grade unshielded twisted pair wiring over distances up to 5,000 feet (1.5  ...
by
Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer founded in 1999, when the semiconductor operations of the former parent company Siemens AG were spun off. Infineon has about 50,280 employees and is one of the ten largest semicond ...
, although they did not technically use
baseband
In telecommunications and signal processing, baseband is the range of frequencies occupied by a signal that has not been modulated to higher frequencies. Baseband signals typically originate from transducers, converting some other variable into a ...
signalling, but rather
passband
A passband is the range of frequencies or wavelengths that can pass through a filter. For example, a radio receiver contains a bandpass filter to select the frequency of the desired radio signal out of all the radio waves picked up by its antenn ...
as in
very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line
Very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high-speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than the earlier standards of asymmetric digital subscriber lin ...
(VDSL) technology. A patent was filed in 1997 by Peleg Shimon, Porat Boaz, Noam Alroy, Rubinstain Avinoam and Sfadya Yackow.
Long Reach Ethernet
Long Reach Ethernet (LRE) was a proprietary networking protocol marketed by Cisco Systems, intended to support multi-megabit (5 to 15 Mbit/s) performance over telephone-grade unshielded twisted pair wiring over distances up to 5,000 feet (1.5  ...
was the product name used by
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develo ...
starting in 2001. It supported modes of 5 Mbit/s, 10 Mbit/s, and 15 Mbit/s depending on distance.
In October 2000 Howard Frazier issued a call for interest on "Ethernet in the Last Mile". At the November 2000 meeting, IEEE 802.3 created the "Ethernet in the First Mile" study group, and on July 16, 2001 the 802.3ah working group. In parallel participating vendors formed the
Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance MEF, founded in 2001, is a nonprofit international industry consortium, of network, cloud, and technology providers. MEF, originally known as the Metro Ethernet Forum, was dedicated to Carrier Ethernet networks and services, and in recent years, si ...
(EFMA) in December 2001 to promote Ethernet subscriber access technology and support the IEEE standard efforts. At an early meeting, the EtherLoop technology was called 100BASE-CU and another technology called EoVDSL for Ethernet over VDSL.
The working group's EFM standard was approved on June 24, 2004 and published on September 7, 2004 as IEEE 802.3ah-2004. In 2005 it was included into the base IEEE 802.3 standard. In 2005, the EFMA was absorbed by the
Metro Ethernet Forum MEF, founded in 2001, is a nonprofit international industry consortium, of network, cloud, and technology providers. MEF, originally known as the Metro Ethernet Forum, was dedicated to Carrier Ethernet networks and services, and in recent years, si ...
.
In early 2006, work began on an even higher-speed 10 gigabit/second Ethernet
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
(10G-EPON) standard, ratified in 2009 as
IEEE 802.3av. The work on the EPON was continued by the IEEE P802.3bk ''Extended EPON'' Task Force, formed in March 2012. The major goals for this Task Force included adding support for PX30, PX40, PRX40, and PR40 power budget classes to both 1G-EPON and 10G-EPON. The 802.3bk amendment was approved by the IEEE-SA SB in August 2013 and published soon thereafter as the standard IEEE Std 802.3bk-2013.
In November 2011, IEEE 802.3 began work on
EPON Protocol over Coax (EPoC).
On June 4, 2020, the IEEE approved IEEE 802.3ca which allows for symmetric or asymmetric operation with downstream speeds of 25 Gbit/s or 50 Gbit/s, and upstream speeds of 10 Gbit/s, 25 Gbit/s, or 50 Gbit/s over
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
s.
Description
EFM defines how Ethernet can be transmitted over new media types using new
Ethernet physical layer
The physical-layer specifications of the Ethernet family of computer network standards are published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which defines the electrical or optical properties and the transfer speed of t ...
(
PHY
PHY is an abbreviation for the physical layer of the OSI model and refers to the circuitry required to implement physical layer functions.
PHY or Phy may also refer to:
* Phy, the drug methadone
* Phetchabun Airport (IATA code), Thailand
See al ...
) interfaces:
*
Voice-grade copper. These new EFM copper (EFMCu), or
Ethernet over copper
Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) refers to using one of the Ethernet family of computer network technologies between a telecommunications company and a customer's premises. From the customer's point of view, it is their first mile, although from th ...
, interfaces allow optional multi-pair aggregation
*Long wavelength single
optical fiber
An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...
(as well as long wavelength dual-strand fiber)
*
Point-to-multipoint
In telecommunications, point-to-multipoint communication (P2MP, PTMP or PMP) is communication which is accomplished via a distinct type of one-to-many connection, providing multiple paths from a single location to multiple locations.
Point-to ...
(P2MP) fiber. These new interfaces are known under the collective name of Ethernet over
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
s (EPON).
EFM also addresses other issues, required for mass deployment of Ethernet services, such as operations, administration, and management (
OA&M
Operations, administration and management or operations, administration and maintenance (OA&M or OAM) are the processes, activities, tools, and standards involved with operating, administering, managing and maintaining any system. This commonly ...
) and compatibility with existing technologies (such as
plain old telephone service
Plain old telephone service (POTS), or plain ordinary telephone system, is a retronym for voice-grade telephone service employing analog signal transmission over copper loops. POTS was the standard service offering from telephone companies from 1 ...
spectral compatibility for copper
twisted pair
Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring used for communications in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a single conductor or an untwisted ba ...
).
Copper wires
*
2BASE-TL
Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) refers to using one of the Ethernet family of computer network technologies between a telecommunications company and a customer's premises. From the customer's point of view, it is their first mile, although from th ...
-- defined in clauses 61 and 63.
Full-duplex
A duplex communication system is a point-to-point system composed of two or more connected parties or devices that can communicate with one another in both directions. Duplex systems are employed in many communications networks, either to allow ...
long-reach
point-to-point link over
voice-grade copper wiring. 2BASE-TL PHY can deliver a minimum of 2
Mbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
and a maximum of 5.69 Mbit/s over distances of up to 2700 m (9,000 ft), using
ITU-T
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is one of the three sectors (divisions or units) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is responsible for coordinating standards for telecommunications and Information Commu ...
G.991.2 (G.SHDSL.bis) technology over a single copper pair.
*
10PASS-TS -- defined in clauses 61 and 62. Full-duplex short-reach point-to-point link over voice-grade copper wiring. 10PASS-TS PHY can deliver a minimum of 10 Mbit/s over distances of up to 750 m (2460 ft), using
ITU G.993.1 (
VDSL
Very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high-speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than the earlier standards of asymmetric digital subscriber line ...
) technology over a single copper pair.
Active fiber optics
*
100BASE-LX10 defined in clause 58, providing point-to-point 100 Mbit/s Ethernet links over a pair of single-mode fibers up to at least 10 km.
*
100BASE-BX10 defined in clause 58, providing point-to-point 100 Mbit/s Ethernet links over an individual single-mode fiber up to at least 10 km.
*
1000BASE-LX10
In computer networking, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is the term applied to transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second. The most popular variant, 1000BASE-T, is defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard. It came into use i ...
defined in clause 59, providing point-to-point 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over a pair of single-mode fibers up to at least 10 km.
*
1000BASE-BX10 defined in clause 59, providing point-to-point 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over an individual single-mode fiber up to at least 10 km.
Passive optical network
Fiber to the home
Fiber to the ''x'' (FTTX; also spelled "fibre") or fiber in the loop is a generic term for any broadband network architecture using optical fiber to provide all or part of the local loop used for last mile telecommunications. As fiber opt ...
can use a
passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
.
*1000BASE-PX10 defined in Clause 60 (added by IEEE Std 802.3ah-2004), providing
P2MP
In telecommunications, point-to-multipoint communication (P2MP, PTMP or PMP) is communication which is accomplished via a distinct type of One-to-many (data model), one-to-many connection, providing multiple paths from a single location to mult ...
1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 10 km, at the split of at least 1:16.
*1000BASE-PX20 defined in Clause 60 (added by IEEE Std 802.3ah-2004), providing P2MP 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:16.
*1000BASE-PX30 defined in Clause 60 (added by IEEE Std 802.3bk-2013), providing P2MP 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:32.
*1000BASE-PX40 defined in Clause 60 (added by IEEE Std 802.3bk-2013), providing P2MP 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:64.
*10GBASE-PR10 defined in Clause 91 (added by IEEE Std 802.3av-2009), providing
P2MP
In telecommunications, point-to-multipoint communication (P2MP, PTMP or PMP) is communication which is accomplished via a distinct type of One-to-many (data model), one-to-many connection, providing multiple paths from a single location to mult ...
10 Gbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 10 km, at the split of at least 1:16.
*10GBASE-PR20 defined in Clause 91 (added by IEEE Std 802.3av-2009), providing P2MP 10 Gbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:16.
*10GBASE-PR30 defined in Clause 91 (added by IEEE Std 802.3av-2009), providing P2MP 10 Gbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:32.
*10GBASE-PR40 defined in Clause 60 (added by IEEE Std 802.3bk-2013), providing P2MP 10 Gbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:64.
*25GBASE and 50GBASE added by IEEE Std 802.3ca-2020, providing P2MP 25 Gbit/s Ethernet links over PONs, at the distance of at least 20 km, at the split of at least 1:32. 50 Gbit/s to a single end-point is achieved by using two different wavelengths of light.
Additionally clause 57 defines link-level OA&M, including discovery, link monitoring, remote fault indication, loopbacks, and variable access.
2BASE-TL
2BASE-TL is an
IEEE 802.3-2008
IEEE 802.3 is a working group and a collection standards defining the physical layer and data link layer's media access control (MAC) of wired Ethernet. The standards are produced by the working group of Institute of Electrical and Electronics E ...
Physical Layer (
PHY
PHY is an abbreviation for the physical layer of the OSI model and refers to the circuitry required to implement physical layer functions.
PHY or Phy may also refer to:
* Phy, the drug methadone
* Phetchabun Airport (IATA code), Thailand
See al ...
) specification for a
full-duplex
A duplex communication system is a point-to-point system composed of two or more connected parties or devices that can communicate with one another in both directions. Duplex systems are employed in many communications networks, either to allow ...
long-reach
point-to-point Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
link over
voice-grade copper wiring.
Rates and distances
Unlike
10/100/100 PHYs, providing a single rate of 10, 100, or 1000
Mbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
, the 2BASE-TL link rate can vary, depending on the copper media characteristics (such as length, wire diameter or
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
, number of pairs if the link is aggregated, amount of
crosstalk
In electronics, crosstalk is any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel. Crosstalk is usually caused by undesired capacitive, induc ...
between the pairs, etc.), desired link parameters (such as desired
SNR margin, Power Back-Off, etc.), and regional spectral limitations.
2BASE-TL PHYs deliver a minimum of 2
Mbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
over distances of up to , using
ITU-T
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is one of the three sectors (divisions or units) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is responsible for coordinating standards for telecommunications and Information Commu ...
G.991.2 (G.SHDSL.bis) technology over a single copper pair. These PHYs may also support an optional aggregation or bonding of multiple copper pairs, called
PME Aggregation Function PME Aggregation Function (PAF) is a computer networking mechanism defined in Clause 61 of the IEEE 802.3 standard, which allows one or more Physical Medium Entities (PMEs) to be combined to form a single logical Ethernet link.
The PAF is located i ...
(PAF).
For a single pair, the minimum possible link
bitrate
In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (bitrate or as a variable ''R'') is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time.
The bit rate is expressed in the unit bit per second (symbol: bit/s), often in conjunction w ...
is 192
kbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
(3 x 64 kbit/s) and the maximum bitrate is 5.7 Mbit/s (89 x 64 kbit/s). On a 0.5 mm wire with 3
dB noise margin and no spectral limitations, the max bitrate can be achieved over distances of up to . At the max achievable bitrate is about 850 kbit/s.
The
throughput
Network throughput (or just throughput, when in context) refers to the rate of message delivery over a communication channel, such as Ethernet or packet radio, in a communication network. The data that these messages contain may be delivered ov ...
of a 2BASE-TL link is lower than the link's bitrate by an average 5%, due to 64/65-octet encoding and PAF overhead; both factors depend on packet size.
[''Implementation and Applications of DSL Technology (book)'', Auerbach Publications 2008, , Table 13.6.]
10PASS-TS
10PASS-TS is an
IEEE 802.3-2008
IEEE 802.3 is a working group and a collection standards defining the physical layer and data link layer's media access control (MAC) of wired Ethernet. The standards are produced by the working group of Institute of Electrical and Electronics E ...
Physical Layer (
PHY
PHY is an abbreviation for the physical layer of the OSI model and refers to the circuitry required to implement physical layer functions.
PHY or Phy may also refer to:
* Phy, the drug methadone
* Phetchabun Airport (IATA code), Thailand
See al ...
) specification for a
full-duplex
A duplex communication system is a point-to-point system composed of two or more connected parties or devices that can communicate with one another in both directions. Duplex systems are employed in many communications networks, either to allow ...
short-reach
point-to-point Ethernet
Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
link over
voice-grade copper wiring.
10PASS-TS PHYs deliver a minimum of 10
Mbit/s
In telecommunications, data-transfer rate is the average number of bits (bitrate), characters or symbols (baudrate), or data blocks per unit time passing through a communication link in a data-transmission system. Common data rate units are multi ...
over distances of up to , using
ITU-T
The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is one of the three sectors (divisions or units) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is responsible for coordinating standards for telecommunications and Information Commu ...
G.993.1 (
VDSL
Very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high-speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than the earlier standards of asymmetric digital subscriber line ...
) technology over a single copper pair. These PHYs may also support an optional aggregation or bonding of multiple copper pairs, called
PME Aggregation Function PME Aggregation Function (PAF) is a computer networking mechanism defined in Clause 61 of the IEEE 802.3 standard, which allows one or more Physical Medium Entities (PMEs) to be combined to form a single logical Ethernet link.
The PAF is located i ...
(PAF).
Details
Unlike other
Ethernet physical layer
The physical-layer specifications of the Ethernet family of computer network standards are published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which defines the electrical or optical properties and the transfer speed of t ...
s that provide a single rate such as 10, 100, or 1000 Mbit/s, the 10PASS-TS link rate can vary, similar to
2BASE-TL
Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) refers to using one of the Ethernet family of computer network technologies between a telecommunications company and a customer's premises. From the customer's point of view, it is their first mile, although from th ...
, depending on the copper channel characteristics, such as length, wire diameter (
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
), wiring quality, the number of pairs if the link is aggregated and other factors.
VDSL is a short range technology designed to provide broadband over distances less than 1 km of
voice-grade copper twisted pair
Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring used for communications in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a single conductor or an untwisted ba ...
line, but connection data rates deteriorate quickly as the line distance increases. This has led to VDSL being referred to as a "
fiber to the curb
Fiber to the ''x'' (FTTX; also spelled "fibre") or fiber in the loop is a generic term for any broadband network architecture using optical fiber to provide all or part of the local loop used for Last mile (telecommunications), last mile tel ...
" technology, because it requires fiber
backhaul to connect with a carrier network over greater distances.
VDSL Ethernet in the first mile services using may be a useful way to standardise functionality on
metro Ethernet
A metropolitan-area Ethernet, Ethernet MAN, or metro Ethernet network is a metropolitan area network (MAN) that is based on Ethernet standards. It is commonly used to connect subscribers to a larger service network or the Internet. Businesses ca ...
networks, or potentially to distribute internet access services over voice-grade wiring in
multi-dwelling unit
Multifamily residential (also known as multidwelling unit or MDU) is a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units ca ...
buildings. However,
VDSL2
Very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high-speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than the earlier standards of asymmetric digital subscriber lin ...
has already proven to be a versatile and faster standard with greater reach than VDSL.
See also
*
10G-EPON
The 10 Gbit/s Ethernet Passive Optical Network standard, better known as 10G-EPON allows computer network connections over telecommunication provider infrastructure. The standard supports two configurations: ''symmetric'', operating at 10 Gbit/s d ...
*
PME Aggregation Function PME Aggregation Function (PAF) is a computer networking mechanism defined in Clause 61 of the IEEE 802.3 standard, which allows one or more Physical Medium Entities (PMEs) to be combined to form a single logical Ethernet link.
The PAF is located i ...
*
G.SHDSL
*
10BROAD36
10BROAD36 is an obsolete computer network standard in the Ethernet family. It was developed during the 1980s and specified in IEEE 802.3b-1985.
The standard supports 10 Mbit/s Ethernet signals over standard 75 ohm cable television (CATV) ...
- Ethernet over Cable-modem
*ITU G.993.2
VDSL2
Very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high-speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than the earlier standards of asymmetric digital subscriber lin ...
*
Passive optical network
A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications technology for delivering broadband network access to end-customers. Its architecture implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple en ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
802.3-2018 - IEEE Standard for Ethernet- EFM is contained in section 5
*
Ethernet in the First Mile FAQ*
EFM Knowledge Baseat the
UNH-IOL
The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) is an independent test facility that provides interoperability and standards conformance testing for networking, telecommunications, data storage, and consumer technology produ ...
{{DSL technologies
Bonding protocols
Network protocols
Physical layer protocols
Data transmission
First Mile
First Mile is a UK environmental and waste management business based in London. It works with businesses to reduce their climate impact through services such as waste, recycling, and renewable energy.
History
First Mile was founded in 2004 by Br ...
Network access
Local loop