100 gigabit Ethernet and beyond [Commentary

At the November 2009 IEEE 802 Plenary meeting, the IEEE P802.3ba 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s Ethernet project reached the next milestone on its journey to being ratified as a standard, as the draft amendment to the IEEE 802.3 standard was approved to move to the second and final stage of balloting, known as Sponsor Ballot. The success of meeting this milestone keeps the project on schedule for ratification in June 2010. The ratification of the P802.3ba standard will be a major accomplishment for the Task Force, the end result of hard work and diligent efforts, and a major milestone in the long running history of Ethernet as a protocol.