The IEEE has approved amendments to two new and increasingly prevalent networking standards – 10 G-EPON and the latest version of Wi-Fi, 802.11n.

The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard already covers 1 Gbps Ethernet passive optical network (1G-EPON) but was expanded with a new specification for 10 Gbps on point-to-multipoint passive optical networks. The amendment is known by the name IEEE Std. 802.3av – “Standard for Information Technology.”

The two standards are compatible; service providers can mix and match infrastructure based on the two versions of the standard.

According to David Law, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group, "The 10G-EPON standard enables the network operators to significantly increase the performance of their point-to-multipoint architectures, supporting emerging bandwidth-intensive services while simultaneously lowering the costs related to equipment, operation, upgrade and maintenance."

The IEEE also ratified the IEEE 802.11n-2009 amendment, which defines mechanisms that provide improved data rates and ranges to accommodate the distribution of large files, notably video files.

The 560-page amendment, “WLAN Enhancements for Higher Throughput,” will enable the rollout of significantly more scalable WLANs that deliver 10-fold-greater data rates than previously defined, while ensuring co-existence with legacy systems and security implementations, the IEEE said.