Watch Telephony's Security Webcast Find out what Verizon Business is doing with managed network security and how service providers can cash in with this new service. Watch Telephony's Webcast today.

The Metro Ethernet Forum is promoting its Carrier Ethernet certification program at Supercomm 2005 with what it claims is the largest interoperability demonstration of its kind--SuperDemo, involving 29 MEF member companies.

The demonstration follows the MEF's announcement less than two months ago to launch a Carrier Ethernet certification program to test vendor interoperability and conformance to the 802.3ah Ethernet in the first-mile standard. The IEEE approved that standard in March. Certification testing is due to begin on June 14, with certified product expected to be available by the time the first Carrier Ethernet World Conference opens in Berlin on Sept. 12, according to Colin Evans, vice president, director and co-chair of marketing at the MEF.

"If we were creating this forum today, we probably wouldn't call it the Metro Ethernet Forum," Evans said. "Ethernet is moving out of the enterprise to become the de facto connectivity model. It's now becoming the preferred physical uplink for broadband wireless and for homes."

While product certification and interoperability programs addressing other industry segments, such as WiMAX, have taken months or years to come together, Evans said the MEF was able to move rapidly from standard to certification because, "Ethernet is a much more mature technology. All of the equipment is in place. We envision eventually having a certification lab on every continent."

The Supercomm demo will cover eight application and technology areas, which will act as a major proof point that Carrier Ethernet is now ready to deliver triple play, voice over IP, IPTV and other services.