Cisco’s Peter Jones new Ethernet Alliance chairman
The Ethernet Alliance, the industry group focused on advancing development and use of Ethernet standards, has announced that Peter Jones, distinguished engineer at Cisco Systems (as well as Lightwave Innovation Reviews judge), has assumed the role of the organization’s chairman. Jones was the former chair of the NBASE-T Alliance, which merged with the Ethernet Alliance in 2019. He replaces John D’Ambrosia, whose LinkedIn profile suggests he stepped down from the role last June after nearly 8.5 years in the position.
“The remarkable thing about Ethernet’s story is that it’s not done being written, even after 40 years. It’s unusual for any kind of technology architecture to be in its fortieth year, much less still growing and expanding,” said Jones in a press statement. “Networking used to be complicated; today, network access is like oxygen – you expect it to be there and don’t notice until it’s gone. Ethernet has reduced the complexity of the world and enabled the Internet. The Ethernet Alliance is pleased to have been part of its ongoing history and looks forward to whatever the next chapter brings.”
To help write that next chapter, the Ethernet Alliance also announced that it will host a Technology Exploration Forum (TEF) April 15, 2020 in Santa Clara, CA, under the title “TEF 2020: The Next Ethernet Rate.” As the name of the one-day event implies, the TEF will comprise a series of panels and presentations focused on driving consensus on what the next rate of Ethernet should be beyond the current top rate of 400 Gbps. The alliance has a Call for Papers open until January 30, 2020. Information on the event and the format for presentation proposals can be found on the Ethernet Alliance website. One does not have to be a member of the alliance to participate.
The Ethernet Alliance also notes that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee. The group says it will celebrate the anniversary in various ways throughout the year.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.