Ethernet over Copper is a technology where bundled copper phone wires are used to transport a native Ethernet broadband internet signal from the carrier to a business. It is becoming very popular as it is able to provide dedicated business broadband at a higher speed and lower cost compared to a T1 or bonded T1 line.
While EoC was previously only available in larger metropolitan areas like NYC, nowadays it’s footprint is much larger and Ethernet bandwidth is available in many areas of the US.
Ethernet over Copper pricing is much lower than that of bonded T1 circuits. Another advantage is that an Ethernet circuit is much easier to upgrade / scale. With the traditional bonded T1, an upgrade in circuit speeds can take months as the local phone company has to drop additional loops. With an Ethernet circuit the port speed can often be increased with a “click of a button” at the carriers end.
That makes Ethernet over Copper an ideal alternative for T1 and bonded T1 customers who are looking to upgrade their bandwidth.
Another great advantage is that it is delivered (what’s in a name) over copper pairs of DS0 so EoC does not require expensive fiber build outs. In non technical terms: it runs over plain old copper telephone wires. The reliability is the same as a T1 or DS3 line, in fact Ethernet over Copper is even more redundant because it uses multiple pairs of copper. When a single pair goes down, you do not lose the whole connection. Metro Ethernet can also be delivered as Ethernet over Copper, depending on the bandwidth needed. Higher bandwidth requires a (fractional) FastE or GigE circuit delivered over fiber.
It does have a distance limitation though, you can only be that many 1000 feet away from the Central Office. Ethernet over Serial however runs on DS1s and has a far larger reach. And of course for the higher bandwidth circuits there is Ethernet over DS3 and Ethernet over Fiber like FastE, GigE etc.
We work with many Ethernet service providers and we are able to quote multiple carriers. With our real time quoting engine at the top at the page, you can easily find out pricing and availability of Ethernet over Copper yourself.
There is no obligation and no charge, even when you wish to speak with one of our network engineers. What is the pricing for Ethernet over Copper? It really depends on the location, but for example 10Mb Ethernet pricing in a lit building can be as low as $300 per month.
We now also have carriers that offer asymmetrical Ethernet over Copper at a fraction of the cost. For example: a circuit in New York City 20Mbps download and 2Mbps upload costs just $152 a month.
Is it reliable?
The short answer is yes it is as reliable or even more reliable than other business grade dedicated bandwidth solutions such as T1 and bonded T1 lines. HOWEVER there are some carriers that do not back all of their EoC solutions with an SLA. That’s why we welcome you to always contact us at 10gea after generating a quote on our site to find out the “nuts and bolts”. In all other cases you could even say that it is even more reliable, because when just a few of the copper pairs in the last mile get cut or become defunct, you still have bandwidth. With a T1 like solution you would not.
If you are looking for Ethernet private lines, MetroE or VPNs, please contact us and we will create a custom solution.
Some of our Ethernet over Copper providers include: AT&Ts, AireSpring, Cavalier, Earthlink, Level 3, MegaPath, Nitel, One Communications, Qwest Business, Telnes Broadband, Windstream Communications, XO Communications, and many others.
Additional reading:
Ethernet over Copper vs Fiber Ethernet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet
How Ethernet over Copper works.
