Carrier Ethernet is the use of high-bandwidth Ethernet technology for Internet access and for communication among business, academic and government local area networks (LANs). Carrier Ethernet can be deployed in three ways: Conventional or "pure" Ethernet, Ethernet over Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), and Ethernet over Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).
Carrier Ethernet circumvents bandwidth bottlenecks that can occur when a large number of small networks are connected to a single larger network. Carrier Ethernet has minimal configuration requirements and can accommodate individual home computers as well as proprietary networks of all sizes.