MEF Publishes Ethernet Interconnect Point (EIP) Implementation Agreement to Streamline Standardized Interconnection of Carrier Networks

Los Angeles, 12 April 2016 - The MEF (www.mef.net) is pleased to announce the publication of the milestone Ethernet Interconnect Point (EIP) ENNI Implementation Agreement – MEF 54. This Implementation Agreement (IA) is designed to streamline the interconnection of operator networks to support end-to-end Carrier Ethernet (CE) services. The IA provides practical guidance so operators can evolve their networks to meet full CE 2.0 E-Access interconnection capabilities. The IA gives operators the steps involved to create these new interconnections either all at once or in a series of steps. The  IA represents the completion of Phase 1 of the MEF EIP project.

"The purpose of the EIP project is to produce a series of implementation agreements/ guidelines to create a more efficient marketplace of interconnected operators offering standardized CE 2.0 services that interoperate effectively over two or more networks," said Nan Chen, President of the MEF. "EIP progress is key to future industry growth and innovation because widely deployed and interconnected CE 2.0 networking fabrics will form the foundation upon which to build agile, assured, and orchestrated Third Network services."

"More than a dozen MEF member companies participated in Phase 1 of the EIP project that included Rapid Prototype testing at the University of New Hampshire's Interoperability Lab," said Chen. "We want to thank these companies for contributing to move the industry forward: AT&T, Verizon, Windstream, CenturyLink, Frontier, TelePacific, Accedian, Alcatel-Lucent (Nokia), Canoga Perkins, Ciena, Cisco, Juniper, RAD, and Veryx Technologies."