Cox Business today announced that it has received the Carrier Ethernet (CE) 2.0 certification from the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a global industry alliance focused on accelerating the worldwide adoption of carrier-class Ethernet networks and services.

To receive the certification, Cox Business demonstrated that its Carrier Ethernet products comply with a host of relevant and rigorous MEF specifications and testing. Since introducing the CE 2.0 services certification in 2013, only a select few service providers have received the certification.

"Cox Business strives to deliver a higher level of service to our customers, while providing them with flexible and efficient communications options to meet their ever-growing business needs," said Steve Rowley, senior vice president at Cox Business. "This latest MEF certification demonstrates that we remain committed to delivering Ethernet services that exceed basic requirements and provide businesses with the multiple location connectivity they need to reduce costs and increase productivity."

Various organizations, from government agencies to schools, turn to Cox Business for advanced networking solutions which include both Ethernet and the recently announced MPLS IP-VPN service. Cox Metro Ethernet reduces the need for these businesses to deploy complicated LAN-WAN conversion technologies, while providing a smooth migration path from expensive and outdated TDM, Frame Relay and ATM services.

"MEF CE 2.0 certification differentiates providers offering advanced CE 2.0 products and provides proper recognition to those, like Cox Business, who are delivering on their promise to meet advanced networking needs," said Nan Chen, president of the MEF. "Cox Business continues to demonstrate a willingness to stay in front of industry standards and provide scalable solutions and certified employees focused on elevating business communications."

Cox Business has been a member of the Metro Ethernet Forum since 2006.  The first MSO to be named on the U.S. Ethernet Services Leaderboard in 2007, Cox Business is consistently ranked as one of the top Ethernet providers and is proud to be a Platinum sponsor of the MEF GEN14, helping to shape the future of the CE services and technology ecosystem.

Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 300,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations. The organization also serves most of the top tier wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers in the U.S. through its wholesale division.

According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is one of the largest providers of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports, and has been consistently recognized for its leadership among small/midsize business data service providers. Cox is currently the seventh largest voice service provider in the U.S. and supports one million phone lines.