NBASE-T to Show Off Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Innovation at Interop ITX

By Maurice Nagle
Web Editor

The new Ethernet Era is ushering an exciting time in multi-gigabit Ethernet, not to mention aiding in what can be referred to as the ‘billion Ethernet port opportunity’. Empowering this time of network modernization is the NBASE-T Alliance, creating standards and furthering collaboration in the space to drive 2.5G and 5G multi-gigabit Ethernet solutions.

At the upcoming Interop (News - Alert) ITX, 10 NBASE-T member companies will put efforts on display, featuring products delivering 2.5G and 5G multi-gigabit Ethernet. Let’s face facts, campus network upgrades are inevitable, and the SaaSy era in which we live demands more from structured copper cabling. IT managers gain a pocket friendly means to improve performance, supporting expanding workloads and new applications.

“Our display showcases how newly introduced NBASE-T products can be applied in a growing number of real-world scenarios—from enterprise and industrial to service provider and home applications—so that networks can offer faster than 1 Gbps Ethernet at the access layer without workplace disruption and costly cable plant upgrades,” noted Peter Jones, chairman, NBASE-T Alliance. “Just as important, we are highlighting the accomplishments of the past year with our event sponsorship, underscoring the ratification of the 2.5G/5G BASE-T IEEE (News - Alert) 802.3bz™ standard and the rapidly growing number of NBASE-T products.”

The demonstration will highlight products from University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), Spirent, Aquantia (News - Alert), Aukua Systems, Panduit, Microsemi, Cisco, Cu-Test, Fluke Networks and Intel. And, showcased products were all developed under the NBASE-T specification and will range from switches, SFP+ modules, client PCs, NAS appliances, test equipment, reference designs, wireless access points.

The NBASE-T Alliance is an active member in the multi-gigabit space, as it played a key role in outlining specifications and guiding the IEEE 802.3bz standard to ratification. With research pointing to a peak of gigabit product deployments to come in the next calendar year, expectations are for multi-gigabit Ethernet solutions developed and deployed under such standard to explode.

From the enterprise conference room to the campus networking room, multi-gigabit empowers a new era of network performance by building on copper and infrastructure investment. If you’d like to learn more, Interop ITX is taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV May 15-19. You can find the NBASE-T display at booth #317.