Shaw Business is among the first carriers in Canada to achieve Metro Ethernet Forum ELAN certification for its VPLS service.

Shaw Business, the commercial services arm of Shaw Communications, announced this morning that the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) awarded its Carrier Ethernet 1.0 Certification for all of Shaw’s fiber-based Ethernet services, which include EPL, EVPL and VPLS.

In order to garner MEF certification, Shaw Business’ Ethernet product line underwent extensive testing by Iometrix, which is the MEF’s official laboratory, to prove conformity, performance and dependability.

“Whether it’s a commercial client who relies on our network for their critical business needs or an international partner looking to extend their reach into our extensive North American footprint, Shaw Business offers scalable products to suit a wide range of business requirements,” said Peter Bissonnette, president of Shaw Communications. “The MEF’s Carrier Ethernet 1.0 Certification process provides independent validation of Shaw Business Ethernet services, and we are committed to consistently meet or exceed all industry standards.”

Shaw Business’s coast-to-coast Ethernet network is engineered for high-capacity data delivery, including speeds up to 100 Gbps. Nearly 2 million residential and business customers are served by Shaw’s network.

Cable operators in North America have been ramping up their Ethernet portfolios over the past few years in an effort to draw business away from telcos. Ethernet products have proved to be a boon because they provide flexibility and more bandwidth than competing products, such as T1 lines. Comcast has been making inroads with medium-size businesses ever since it launched the service last year.