Just weeks after final approval of the first Gigabit Ethernet standard, Intel and a networking component maker last week teamed up to push an emerging specification for a less expensive form of the technology.
Intel and Level One plan to build devices that transmit Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 copper wiring, which is less expensive than fiber-optic cable and more widely deployed in enterprise LANs. They also will work within the IEEE 802.1ab working group that is creating a copper-based standard.
The companies expect the standard to be approved by March 1999. They may ship products before that time.
“We’re going to be aggressive in our approach to the market, but we will make sure we can ensure compatibility with standards-based products,” said Tim Dunn, Intel’s marketing manager for network adapters.
After two and a half years of development, the IEEE last month approved the 802.1z standard for Gigabit Ethernet over multimode and single-mode fiber. Development of a copper standard was broken off to a separate task force last year.
Copper and fiber interfaces are likely to show the same price difference in Gigabit Ethernet devices as in Fast Ethernet products, according to officials at both companies.
Tam Dell’Oro, president of the Dell’Oro Group, a research company in Portola Valley, Calif., said that price advantage is about 50 percent.
According to Dell’Oro, demand for copper Gigabit interfaces should rise as bandwidth demands grow.
“What makes the copper attractive is that as the deployment shifts away from the core out to server farms and wiring closets, there will more likely be a copper application,” Dell’Oro said. She predicted some companies may begin shipping prestandard copper-based products by year’s end.
Intel and Level One did not discuss specific products or prices.