Equinix Ethernet Exchange Touts Early Adopters

Level 3 Communications Inc. is among the initial participants in the Equinix Carrier Ethernet Exchange platform, launched in October by Equinix Inc.. AboveNet Inc., Exponential-e, Hibernia Atlantic, PCCW Global, Reliance Globalcom, Tinet and other carriers have signed on to the development program, which seeks to define solutions for the exchange of data traffic between carriers providing Ethernet services.

The Equinix Carrier Ethernet Exchange development program consists of a platform for multiprovider carrier Ethernet interconnection that meets Metro Ethernet Forum standards.

The program is reviewing a variety of solutions including Ethernet network-to-network interconnection (NNI) and additional services that leverage the networks operating within Equinix's International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers globally using Alcatel-Lucent's service routing portfolio. Equinix operates 45 IBX data centers across 18 markets in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

"As a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services, Level 3 is helping our customers keep pace with the demands of an increasingly networked world,” said Russell Shriver, Level 3's vice president of Internet and data services. “Our customers are turning to Ethernet to support applications like server virtualization, cloud computing, and data center consolidation. Today, business is dispersed all over the world, and it's technically challenging, time-consuming and costly for enterprises to pull together end-to-end Ethernet services. By working with Equinix, Level 3 will expand its ability to provide a seamless, high-performance Ethernet offering."