BT is set to launch a mid-band Ethernet wide area network (WAN) service next year, with available bandwidth up to 10 times more than the 2Mbit/s E1 leased line services it is designed to replace.

Mid-band Ethernet provides companies with up to 20Mbit/s of symmetric capacity over the existing telephone network, depending on the number of copper pairs they contain.

It could bring Ethernet WAN links to the estimated 91 percent of European businesses not currently served by equivalent fibre optic networks, though the distance between the customer office and the nearest point of presence (POP) or telephone exchange affects available data rates.

Hatteras Networks, which makes Ethernet first mile (EFM) access equipment based on the IEEE 802.ah 2Base-TL standard, said BT is currently evaluating Hattaras products rebadged under the Alcatel brand, as part of the carrier's 21st Century Network (21CN).

“Although it hasn’t launched anything yet, BT is very active. It takes a while to define a service and make sure everything works, but we would anticipate BT offering something next year,” said Hattaras vice-president of marketing and product management Gary Bolton.

Mid-band Ethernet services require specialised Ethernet switches to be installed both in the carrier exchange and the customer site. Ethernet is viewed as a favourable access technology for the enterprise because it supports end-to-end IP links and is considered more reliable than symmetric DSL (SDSL) services, which utilise legacy circuit-switched connections within telecommunications networks.

BT were unavailable for comment.