A system (100, 200) for handling data, comprising: a physical layer, PHY, circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) operating at a first rate, wherein the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) includes a number of ports (104-1, 104-P); a media access control, MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) operating at the first rate, wherein the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) includes a number of ports; and a multiplexed serial media independent interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) between the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) and the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) operating at a second rate greater than the first rate, wherein the interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) includes a number of conductors; wherein the interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) is configured to communicate data between the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) and the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) via four conductors per up to eight ports (104-1, 104-P) of the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N); characterized in that: the interface (110-1,110-N, 210) is configured to: encode (218-1, 218-2) the data communicated via the interface (110-1, 110-N, 21 O); add (218-1, 218-2) one or more control sets to the encoded data; wherein the one or more control sets include a particular starter symbol indicating that the interface between the MAC circuit and the PHY circuit is operating as a multiplexed serial media independent interface and a channel symbol indicating a status and a number of channels (106-1, 106-M) being communicated; and time division multiplex (220-1, 220-2) the encoded data from the number of channels (106-1, 106-M) at the first rate to a serial data stream at the second rate when the number of ports (104-1, 104-P) is greater than one. a physical layer, PHY, circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) operating at a first rate, wherein the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) includes a number of ports (104-1, 104-P); a media access control, MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) operating at the first rate, wherein the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) includes a number of ports; and a multiplexed serial media independent interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) between the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) and the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) operating at a second rate greater than the first rate, wherein the interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) includes a number of conductors; wherein the interface (110-1, 110-N, 210) is configured to communicate data between the MAC circuit (108, 208-1, 208-N) and the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N) via four conductors per up to eight ports (104-1, 104-P) of the PHY circuit (102-1, 102-N, 202-1, 202-N); characterized in that: the interface (110-1,110-N, 210) is configured to: encode (218-1, 218-2) the data communicated via the interface (110-1, 110-N, 21 O); add (218-1, 218-2) one or more control sets to the encoded data; wherein the one or more control sets include a particular starter symbol indicating that the interface between the MAC circuit and the PHY circuit is operating as a multiplexed serial media independent interface and a channel symbol indicating a status and a number of channels (106-1, 106-M) being communicated; and time division multiplex (220-1, 220-2) the encoded data from the number of channels (106-1, 106-M) at the first rate to a serial data stream at the second rate when the number of ports (104-1, 104-P) is greater than one. the interface (110-1,110-N, 210) is configured to: encode (218-1, 218-2) the data communicated via the interface (110-1, 110-N, 21 O); add (218-1, 218-2) one or more control sets to the encoded data; wherein the one or more control sets include a particular starter symbol indicating that the interface between the MAC circuit and the PHY circuit is operating as a multiplexed serial media independent interface and a channel symbol indicating a status and a number of channels (106-1, 106-M) being communicated; and time division multiplex (220-1, 220-2) the encoded data from the number of channels (106-1, 106-M) at the first rate to a serial data stream at the second rate when the number of ports (104-1, 104-P) is greater than one.