Charter Business Ethernet & Optical Transport
Charter Business combines abundant metro fiber in 21 states with a solid, if unsophisticated,portfolio of Ethernet and optical transportservices. But the fourth-largest cable operator is struggling to service its massive $21 billion debt. (1/21/2009)

Cox Business Services Ethernet & Optical Transport
Cox Business' metro area business services are competitive and include Ethernet private line, E-LAN, SONET, and wavelengths, but its services are limited to scattered clusters of cable systems. (1/21/2009)

Optimum Lightpath Ethernet & Optical Transport
Optimum Lightpath offers Ethernet, SONET and wavelength services in the NYC metro area. Lightpath’s Ethernet portfolio includes converged voice, data and video, but its all-optical footprint does not extend far beyond the tri-state NYC region. (1/21/2009)

Suddenlink Ethernet Metro Ethernet & Optical Transport
Suddenlink offers local and long haul Ethernet and optical transport services in nearly 1,000 localities across 16 states. However,its footprint is comprised of mostly small townswith limited demand for high-bandwidth business services. (1/21/2009)

Time Warner Cable Business Services Business Class Ethernet, Metro Ethernet & Optical Transport
TWCBC services include Ethernet E-LINE and E-LAN services as well as optical Internet access, and the company recently began rolling out Ethernet over HFC, although its services are limited to metro area islands without any long haul capability (1/20/2009)

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Report Contents

• Current Perspective Rating
• Product Strengths and Weaknesses
• Product Buying Criteria
• Product Metrics

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Ethernet & Optical Transport - Buying Criteria

• Availability & Market Coverage
  • Network coverage, geographical availability, market penetration.
• Ethernet/Optical Transport Services and Features
  • Ethernet and optical transport services, including E-LINE, E-LAN, and SONET and wavelength speeds and feeds.
• Management & Reliability
  • Customer network management and reporting, reliability & restoration capabilities, SLAs, and performance metrics.
• Pricing and Discounts
  • Service pricing and discounting strategy.
• Networks & Infrastructure
  • Network architecture and equipment used to support Ethernet and optical transport services.

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Ethernet & Optical Transport - Product Metrics

• Network Geography
  • Primary Geographic Availability
    
  • Secondary Geographic Availability
    
  • Number of Optical Ethernet PoPs, COs, or Headends
    
  • Number of Metro Fiber Route-Miles
    
  • Commercial Buildings Connected via Optical Fiber
    
  • On-net Commercial Buildings Connected via HFC
• Network Infrastructure
  • Ethernet-capable Switches, CMTS, Routers, etc.
    
  • L2 Ethernet Switch vendor and Models Deployed
    
  • L3 IP/MPLS Router Vendor and Models Deployed
    
  • Optical Transport ADM/ROADM/DWDM Vendor and Models
• Business Network Services
  • Private Line
    
  • Broadband
    
  • Dedicated Internet Access
    
  • Voice – TDM
    
  • VoIP
    
  • Video
    
  • Ethernet
    
  • IPSec VPN
    
  • Remote Access
    
  • SONET OC-x
    
  • Wavelength
    
  • Other
• Carrier Ethernet Services
  • Ethernet Service Types Available
• Name of Service(s)
  • EPL
    
  • EVPL
    
  • ELAN
• Ethernet Topologies/Reach
  • Point-Point
    
  • Point-Multipoint
    
  • Multipoint-Multipoint
    
  • Metro Area
    
  • Inter-metro/Long Haul
    
  • International
• Ethernet Service Applications
  • Dedicated Internet Access
    
  • Private Line
    
  • Layer 3 VPN Access
    
  • Layer 2 VPN Access
    
  • LAN Interconnection
    
  • Circuit Emulation
    
  • TDM Voice Access
    
  • VoIP Access
    
  • Video Access/Transport
    
  • Mobile Backhaul
    
  • Storage Extension
    
  • BC/DR
    
  • Distance Learning
    
  • Other
• Access/Transport Options
  • Ethernet over Fiber
    
  • Ethernet over DOCSIS/HFC
    
  • Ethernet over Copper
    
  • Ethernet over Wireless
    
  • Ethernet over SONET
    
  • Ethernet over ATM
    
  • Ethernet over RPR
    
  • Ethernet over PB
    
  • Ethernet over PBB
    
  • Ethernet over PBB-TE
    
  • Ethernet over L2TPv3
    
  • Ethernet over MPLS
    
  • Ethernet over Wavelength
    
  • PON
    
  • Other
• Service Features
  • Port Interface Rates
    
  • PVC/EVC Bandwidth Increments
    
  • Multiple PVCs or EVCs per UNI
    
  • Shared or Dedicated Bandwidth
    
  • Bandwidth Burstable Above the CIR
    
  • QoS Classes Available
    
  • QoS Classes
• QoS Classification Mechanism
  • QoS Classification Mechanism
    
  • 802.1q VLAN ID
    
  • 802.1p COS ID
    
  • MEF 10.1
    
  • TOS/DSCP
    
  • Other
• MEF Service Certification
  • MEF-9
    
  • MEF-14
• IEEE Specifications
  • 802.1q VLAN tagging
    
  • 802.1ad PB (q-in-q)
    
  • 802.1ah PBB (mac-in-mac)
    
  • 802.1Qay (PBB-TE)
    
  • 802.1ag Link Aggregation
• Ethernet over MPLS
  • Ethernet over MPLS
• Network Management
  • On-line CNM Portal
    
  • Customer Management Features
• Reliability/Failover Options
  • Protected Fiber
    
  • Diverse Fiber Path/Route
    
  • Link Aggregation/Protection
    
  • SONET APS
    
  • Ethernet APS
    
  • <50 msec Failover
    
  • STP/RSTP
    
  • MPLS FRR
• SLA Metrics
  • On-time installation
    
  • Availability
    
  • MTTR (mean time to repair)
    
  • TTR (time to repair)
    
  • Data Delivery/Packet Loss
    
  • Latency
    
  • Jitter
• SLAs
  • PE-PE (Provider Edge)
    
  • CE-CE (Customer Edge)
• Optical Transport Services
  • Synchronous Optical Network
    
  • - Interface rates
    
  • Ethernet over SONET
    
  • - Interface rates
    
  • Wavelength Services
    
  • - Interface rates
    
  • Optical Internet Access
    
  • - Interface rates
• Optical SLA Metrics
  • On-time Installation
    
  • Availability
    
  • MTTR
    
  • TTR