40-year Anniversary of Ethernet Celebrated by NexGen NexGen Networks, the premier provider of fiber optic-based network solutions to the world’s top financial services firms and global enterprises, marks the invention of Ethernet after forty years as it continues its commitment to Ethernet services. On May 22, 1973, Robert Metcalfe first documented the idea of Ethernet at what was then Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. The name was inspired by the elegant but long disproven idea of a "lumineferous ether"—an invisible, omnipresent medium through which scientists in the 1800s believed light traveled. Metcalfe and his collaborators decided to in a sense make such a medium a reality, and to use it for the transfer of information through cabling. Ethernet has evolved dramatically since then, and it’s the prevailing standard in Local Area Networks (LANs) today. Nearly all computers and many associated devices ship with an Ethernet connection. NexGen Networks was formed in the New York Metropolitan area ten years ago, which corresponded with a landmark transition of Ethernet from a purely local area technology to a wide area network technology. The need to move larger files faster and the convergence of voice and data onto a single network had drastically increased demand for bandwidth, leading to the proliferation of Ethernet WAN. “NexGen helped to pioneer the building of carrier Ethernet networks with the ability to integrate legacy technologies as an interim step toward delivering end-to-end Ethernet services,” says NexGen’s Jeffrey Barth. “NexGen's expertise with large-scale deployment of the technology strongly positioned it to succeed from the start. “ Today, NexGen offers wide-area Ethernet infrastructure that allows business locations on opposite sides of the world to effectively operate like departments in one building. Ethernet continues to be a globally crucial technology thanks to its speed, scalability, flexibility and functionality, and NexGen remains a leader in providing Ethernet services for enterprises around the world. About NexGen Networks NexGen Networks, http://www.nexgen-net.com, is the premier provider of tailored, high- capacity communications services to carrier and enterprise customers. Nexgen Networks is committed to delivering cost-effective, custom solutions coupled with superior industry expertise, service and support that allows for unparalleled time to market connectivity. It offers a comprehensive suite of facilities-based services including: Ethernet, SONET, Wavelength, Dark Fiber, Internet Access, Colocation and more. Its fiber optic network leverages unique rights-of-way that deliver connectivity to the major metropolitan areas in North America, Europe and the Far East. While consistently building upon its private and public IP and Ethernet expertise and evolving its capabilities to continually meet the needs of its customers, large and small, it has continues to maintain a superior standard of customer service and support..