A Quick Look at the 2016 Ethernet Roadmap

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mapToday the Ethernet Alliance unveiled its 2016 Ethernet Roadmap at OFC 2016. The roadmap highlights Ethernet’s breadth of speeds, current and next-generation modules and interfaces, PoE, and innovations like the OIF’s FlexEthernet, and offers an overview of existing and future modules including QSFP-DD, microQSFP, and OBO; interfaces; and nomenclature at speeds from 10 Mb/s to 400GbE. The roadmap also addresses Ethernet’s rapidly diversifying markets, including consumer, residential, enterprise, data centers, and service providers, and the expanding roster of applications like PoE, Power over Data Line (PoDL), and automotive.

As the Ethernet Alliance celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s interesting to note how Ethernet’s pace has accelerated during the last decade – Ethernet is currently standardizing more interfaces than exist today. Beyond adding six new speeds in addition to six existing speeds, IEEE 802.3 is standardizing new interfaces ranging from fiber optics to backplanes for each of these speeds,” said Scott Kipp, president; and director of engineering, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. “People and the industry alike are curious about what’s new and what’s ahead for Ethernet. The roadmap captures the past, present, and future of Ethernet including PoE, FlexE, and other advancements in an easy-to-read, graphic format. The Ethernet Alliance is putting a stake in the ground about where Ethernet will go next.”

The 2016 Ethernet Roadmap is a rich environment for critical information. The illustrated document offers an overview of existing and future modules including QSFP-DD, microQSFP, and OBO; interfaces; and nomenclature at speeds from 10 Mb/s to 400 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE). The roadmap also addresses Ethernet’s rapidly diversifying markets, including consumer, residential, enterprise, data centers, and service providers, and the expanding roster of applications like PoE, Power over Data Line (PoDL), and automotive.

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