http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/wan.html The latest carrier and service-provider news and analysis from NetworkWorld.com. Network World, Inc. Copyright(C) 1994 - 2009 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/lans/2009/111609lan2.html Many in our industry have dreamed of a unified network, and we continue to close in on it. But the truth is we’ve been closing in on it for quite a long time. Jeff Caruso 2009-11-18T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/frame/2009/111609wan2.html For its entire existence as an entity, data networking has been a conglomeration of special interface and protocols. In stark contrast to the "plug and play" simplicity of analog telephony – where you simply attach the cord to an RJ-11 jack on the wall and everything "works," the intrinsic complexity of networking has forever called for specialists. Additionally, this need for special interfaces and protocols has been augmented by a ceaselessly shifting morass of governmental regulations that specified which services may and may not be offered by the "service provider." Jim Metzler and Steve Taylor 2009-11-18T12:00:00-04:00 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040709-telcos-spending-ethernet.html Carrier capital spending (capex) may be down during the current economic downturn but Carrier Ethernet is bucking that trend. Jim Duffy 2009-04-07T12:00:00-04:00