WireIE, a Richmond Hill, Ont.-based network operator specializing in secure data networks for utilities, carriers and government in remote areas, has earned the Metro Ethernet Forum Carrier Ethernet 2.0 certification.
The MEF CE 2.0 certification is considered as the most advanced and demanding standard for operators designing building, deploying and operating carrier grade Ethernet networks and being a rural provider makes receiving it a significant milestone, according to Rob Barlow, president of WireIE.
“As the only provider in Canada approved by the Metro Ethernet Forum to deliver high performance Ethernet into rural, remote and hard-to-service areas, we are now providing an affordable solution to organizations where traditional alternatives have not been cost effective,” he said in a statement.
Achieving CE 2.0 certification is not just a breakthrough for WireIE but also for underserved communities where the company operates, said Nan Chen, president of MEF.
In July this year, Montreal-based Ethernet carrier Fibre Noire Internet Inc. became the first Canadian service provider to achieve MEF CE 2.0 certification for metro Ethernet services. At that time, other carriers such as BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada, Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and Shaw Communication had only CE 1.0 certifications.
Fibre Noire sells fibre optic connectivity services over its networks in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.
CE 2.0 supports multiple classes of services as well as manageability across interconnected provider networks. The CE 1.0 certification pertains only to services delivered over a single provider’s network.
A reported 95 per cent of Canada does not have the adequate network required to support mission-critical applications because of a lack of carrier-grade Ethernet, according to WireIE.
