Of all the LAN protocols, Ethernet is clearly the marketplace winner. The answer is quite simple. End-user familiarity with the technology. Allows flexible network designs. Additionally, switched Ethernet networks have shown themselves to be extremely robust, performing over every physical media layer available, from coaxial cables to all types of fiber-optic cables.
Ethernet has the ability to run new applications and support different data type transmissions.
One service provider is now linking two major European cities that are separated by several hundred kilometers with Gigabit Ethernet transmission. For 10-Gigabit Ethernet technology to gain widespread industry acceptance, vendors and end users must agree on a standard that defines how it will work. The task of writing the 10-Gigabit Ethernet standard has been taken on by the IEEE 802.3ae Committee. A study group was formed in early 1999 to determine the feasibility of a 10-Gigabit Ethernet solution. Today, the committee's schedule calls for the standard to be published in the spring of 2002.