Calix Receives MEF 9 and MEF 14 Certification for 700GX ONTs and E5-400 Platform

MEF-Certified Calix Metro Ethernet Solutions Provide Standards-based VLAN Transport to Providers Offering Business Services

PETALUMA, CA—Calix, the North American leader in overall gigabit passive optical network (GPON) equipment revenue (Dell’Oro Group, February 2009), today announced that its 700GX GPON and Active Ethernet Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) and E5-400 platform have received Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) 9 and MEF 14 certification.

MEF 9 defines the test suite for conformance of Ethernet equipment when deployed at the user-network interface (UNI) for setting up Ethernet virtual circuits (EVCs) and VLANs. It includes Ethernet Private Line (EP-Line), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVP-Line), Ethernet LAN (E-LAN), and related services. MEF 14 defines the test suite for traffic management across Ethernet, ensuring proper quality of service per service class across an Ethernet business service offering.

* The 700GX and E5-400 passed all mandatory and optional MEF 9 tests for function, conformance, interoperability, and performance. Parameters tested include non-looping frame delivery, EVC leakage, frame delivery, CE-VLAN, CoS preservation, and more.
* Both products also passed MEF 14 tests for parameters such as jitter, frame delay and loss, and bandwidth profile. In addition, MEF 14 provides a standard to enforce Carrier Ethernet that delivers residential data, voice, and video services.
* The 700GX family of ONTs lowers the capital requirements for initial managed Ethernet drop-off at the UNI for business-class Ethernet services by at least 50 percent, replacing more expensive managed CPE solutions performing Metro Ethernet services.
* Iometrix, Inc., an MEF-sanctioned lab testing facility in the U.S., performed the MEF certification testing.

“In challenging economic times, businesses are looking for any advantage they can get, and MEF-certified Ethernet products are providing new ways for service providers to help businesses to do more for less,” said Kevin Pope, senior vice president of product development at Calix. “Service providers are increasingly looking to Ethernet to deliver business-class service quality, and standard VLAN models like E-Lines and E-LANs via MEF-certified solutions. Calix platforms can operate within stringent performance parameters, addressing customers of all sizes and types – from large RLECs and MSOs to small CLECs and ILECs. The market is emphasizing the increased importance of MEF certification, and now Calix C-Series and E-Series platforms, as well as P-Series ONTs, can tout MEF compliance.”

MEF certification provides numerous advantages to both Calix and its customers. Use of these globally recognized interoperability standards improves the carrier approval process, increases tender opportunities, and dramatically reduces testing costs, time-to-market, and installation time. MEF compliance also saves time and money by facilitating complex testing between vendors.

Service providers across North America are increasingly demanding simplified Layer 2 Ethernet WANs to speed the provisioning of high-bandwidth applications for business customers. GCI, a major Alaskan service provider, anticipates significant operational efficiencies and provisioning simplification enabled via MEF service deployment models.

“GCI delivers a variety of advanced communications services to business customers across Alaska’s major cities, so it’s very important to us that we deploy high-quality equipment that conforms to industry standards and ensures interoperability,” said Mike Carpenter, product manager at GCI in Anchorage, Alaska. “The Alaskan market is a highly competitive environment, and the combination of Calix platforms and MEF certification ensures that we have the best service quality at the lowest price point.”