BT plugs in Metro Ethernet Lan service

BT EVLAN extends existing range of Ethernet offerings

BT has launched its first Ethernet-based virtual private Lan service, one of the inaugural offerings to be rolled out as part of the firm's 21st Century Network (21CN).

The telco described the BT EVLAN service as "a natural extension" to its existing range of Ethernet offerings designed for business customers.

BT EVLAN is touted as a fully managed service that delivers flexible data connectivity rates with access speeds of 10Mbps, 100Mbps and 1,000Mbps backed by quality of service guarantees.

Businesses signing up to the service will be offered any-to-any connectivity between multiple sites in a single metro area, thereby avoiding the need to deploy more expensive point-to-point leased lines.

The open IP environment means that companies can also opt to manage their own IP layer, according to BT.

BT EVLAN will initially be available in the London area, but will be rolled-out to other UK metro areas later this year.

Martin Maters, general manager of bandwidth and Ethernet services at BT Global Services, said: "Ethernet is at the heart of 21CN. As the digital networked economy takes hold, demands and pressures on organisations increase and need to be more agile.

"Ethernet delivers the right environment in which to do this, and its faster connections make it a vital ingredient for business critical transactions."