IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) have announced the official launch of the IEEE 802.3 Beyond 10km Optical PHYs Study Group. Per a press release, "Chartered by the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee (LMSC) Executive Committee, and launched under the auspices of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group, the new study group aims to develop a Project Authorization Request (PAR) and Criteria for Standards Development (CSD) responses for optical solutions targeting physical distances beyond 10km for 50 Gb/s, 200 Gb/s, and 400 Gb/s Ethernet."
“The launch of the IEEE 802.3 Beyond 10km Optical PHYs Study Group represents a first step towards standardization that will meet the needs of network providers, such as wireless operators across the globe where bandwidth demands are projected to vary significantly from region to region,” said John D’Ambrosia, chair, IEEE 802.3 Beyond 10km Optical PHYs Study Group, and senior principal engineer, Huawei. “The Ethernet application space being addressed by this new working group will help ensure that a fully comprehensive networked Ethernet ecosystem can meet tomorrow’s demands for the speed and reach needed to support industry growth worldwide.”
IEEE further notes: "The formation of a study group occurs when there is interest in developing a request to initiate an IEEE standards-development project. Once enough interest in a particular technology area is established, a study group provides a forum for global experts to come together in collaboration to develop a proposal for a standards-development project.
Today, new Ethernet application spaces that extend beyond 10km are experiencing significant bandwidth demands. For example, mobile networks, driven in large part by the expanded use of video on mobile devices, will need to address ever-increasing capacity demands that extend beyond the data center. These same networks will also face increased challenges to meet growing bandwidth demands fueled by connected car infotainment and autonomous driverless systems, as well as the numerous anticipated future applications that will leverage networked vehicles.
The IEEE 802.3 Beyond 10km Optical PHYs Study Group will explore the requirements and potential technologies of application spaces that need optical solutions beyond 10km, which will be used to define the objectives that will best serve these industry requirements."