Spectrum Business Enterprise Solutions, Charter's enterprise business services arm, also has nearly 100 Carrier Ethernet Certified Professionals (MEF-CECP), which is an expert-level certification offered by the Metro Ethernet Forum to individuals. Windstream says it has achieved MEF CE 2.0 certification for its Carrier E-Access services.
MEF CE 2.0 was introduced in February 2012, and the certification program came out in May that year. Since then, the certification has become increasingly important to cable operators as their commercial services have expanded, often with double-digit annual growth. Numerous cable operators' business services arms have been certified for CE 2.0, including Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), Cox Communications, Midco, RCN, and now Charter and Windstream. More than 20 vendors have also been certified.
The certification program, run by independent third-party company Iometrix, focuses on Ethernet services in five areas: standardization, scalability, reliability, quality of service and service management.
Ron Hendrickson | Contributing Editor
As BTR's managing editor, Ron keeps the editorial wheels from coming off. He gathers and posts daily news, interviews cable's movers and shakers, and generally keeps his finger on the pulse of the industry. He joined BTR in 2010 and got his start in cable in 1998.