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Written by Jon Arnold, Apr 26, 2010
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Business Ethernet is known by many different names and it can get confusing for a business owner, thinking that these various names are really differnt product offerings, when that really is not true. They can all be generally lumped into the category of Business Ethernet and now we can look at some of the different names that are used to describe them.
Fast Ethernet
Fast Ethernet is the type of Ethernet that you are looking at when you are talking about needing Internet bandwidth of less than 100 MB, and with some carriers, less than 50 MB. This type of Ethernet, if it is available in your area, can be delivered to your business on either copper or fiber. Contrary to popular belief, Fast Ethernet does not require fiber. Even if it is delivered on copper instead of fiber, it will has the carrier's SLA or Service Level Agreement that it is dedicated service with an uptime guarantee. Fast Ethernet is an excellent option and is very cost effective if it is available, more so than 3 or 4 bonded T1 lines.
GB Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet
If what you really need from your Business Ethernet connection is a lot of bandwidth, like more than the 50 MB or 100 MB that can be delivered with Fast Ethernet, then what you are looking at is GB Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet. That does not mean that you need to have bandwidth in the GB range but rather that you need more bandwidth than Fast Ethernet can provide. It is a matter of how the service is delivered to you, and GB Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet almost certainly requires fiber instead of copper.
Metro Ethernet or Metro-E
Metro Ethernet or Metro-E is typically available to your business in large cities and larger metropolican areas. It is usually known as Metro Ethernet or Metro-E simply because the business demand for Ethernet in such a metropolitan area is usually larger, and thus much of the Ethernet infrastructure to be able to provide this level of connectivity to you is already in place. This is definitely good news for you since depending on your location, the installation time can be quicker and the buildout costs may be much smaller or even waived. Metro Ethernet or Metro-E does not designate by its name alone how much bandwidth you are looking at, since that can run almost the entire gamut of what Ethernet can provide for bandwidth.
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