Cisco exec: 40-Gigabit Ethernet may be next

Zardon · May 16, 2003, 06:37 PM

The top speed of Ethernet could hit 40Gbps within the next two years, a senior Cisco Systems executive said Wednesday.

Developing 40-Gigabit Ethernet would pose less steep technical challenges than creating a 100-Gigabit Ethernet technology, which would be the next mathematical step, according to Luca Cafiero, senior vice president and general manager of switching, voice and storage at Cisco. In fact, 40-Gigabit Ethernet should be technically feasible within two years, he told reporters and analysts at an educational briefing on switching at Cisco's headquarters in San Jose, Calif.

Since its origin in 1973, Ethernet has evolved from an invention for stringing together PCs at 4M bps to the mainstay of corporate LANs, with switches delivering 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps or 10Gbps of dedicated bandwidth. Speeds of 1Gbps and higher also are being deployed across metropolitan areas. Cafiero and other Cisco executives at the event saluted the technology's 30th birthday, which is coming up next week. The comments by Cafiero, himself an Ethernet pioneer who co-founded seminal LAN switch vendor Crescendo Communications, provided a glimpse into its future.

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May 16, 2003, 06:37 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Cisco exec: 40-Gigabit Ethernet may be next The top speed of Ethernet could hit 40Gbps within the next two years, a senior Cisco Systems executive said Wednesday. Developing 40-Gigabit Ethernet would pose less steep technical challenges than creating a 100-Gigabit Ethernet technology, which would be the next mathematical step, according to Luca Cafiero, senior vice president and general manager of switching, voice and storage at Cisco. In fact, 40-Gigabit Ethernet should be technically feasible within two years, he told reporters and analysts at an educational briefing on switching at Cisco's headquarters in San Jose, Calif. Since its origin in 1973, Ethernet has evolved from an invention for stringing together PCs at 4M bps to the mainstay of corporate LANs, with switches delivering 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps or 10Gbps of dedicated bandwidth. Speeds of 1Gbps and higher also are being deployed across metropolitan areas. Cafiero and other Cisco executives at the event saluted the technology's 30th birthday, which is coming up next week. The comments by Cafiero, himself an Ethernet pioneer who co-founded seminal LAN switch vendor Crescendo Communications, provided a glimpse into its future. Full article here