PBT earns backhaul role for Sprint's Xohm

Provider backbone transport (PBT, also call provider backbone bridging, or PBB) has had a tough year, going from being a much-hyped technology at the beginning of 2008, to being shunned by BT and other carriers and vendors in recent months. But, this week, PBT got a starring role it can be proud of, as the Ethernet technology to be used for backhaul in Sprint's new Xohm WiMAX network. Sprint is using gear from Ciena (and Clearwire is, too, according to Unstrung).

The high-profile deployment gives PBT backers something to cheer about, but also may renew the animosity between the technology's supporters and its critics. Light Reading Europe reports that the Carrier Ethernet World Congress in Berlin this week has played host to much hot debate between PBT and multi-protocol layer switching camps.

For more:
- see this coverage [1] at Unstrung
- check out this report [2] at Light Reading Europe

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NSN was down on PBT after BT wavered on the technology [3]
PBT interest was rising this time last year [4]