DCA Ethernet / Wave

Choose cloud connectivity by the interface and control you need.

For Dedicated Cloud Access (DCA), Ethernet provides Layer 2 (L2) transport; Wave provides Layer 1 (L1) optical transport. For high-capacity requirements, review interfaces and responsibilities together.

The layer and optics change the operating model; Wave is not necessary for moderate workloads.

Let’s talk
A glass cloud beside a business office.

How it works

Choose the transport layer that fits your equipment and cloud connection.

Office / data centre
Agreed handover
Ethernet · Layer 2
CSP port

Ethernet: Layer 2 connectivity

Ethernet handover carries frames between the location and cloud on-ramp. Agree port, VLAN tagging, MTU, capacity and the CSP-specific presentation.

The responsible party or a managed option configures cloud routing. An active Layer 2 service does not prove application prefixes are reachable.

Office / data centre
Agreed handover
Wave · Layer 1
CSP port

Wave: Layer 1 optical transport

Wave delivers optical transport between agreed interfaces. Port and optics compatibility, route and cloud-location availability determine the design.

It fits cases where capacity and transport control are decisive. It does not take over IP routing, tenant configuration or application protection.

Office / data centre
Agreed handover
Validate protection
CSP port

Protect the whole journey

For either variant, redundancy includes ports and access, not only the Colt network segment. Review CSP and site failure domains.

Test transport and routing separately, with enough capacity during failure. An alternative route on paper does not prove end-to-end continuity.

Illustrative case: from situation to decision

Situation
A data centre needs to move large volumes to a cloud region.
Option
Compare Ethernet and Wave by interface, capacity and routing ownership.
Check
Confirm cloud-port compatibility, path protection and performance with representative data.

Ethernet and Wave are different variants, not layers that always need to be bought together.

Decisions for your project

Variant
Layer 1 or Layer 2, interface and routing ownership.
Compatibility
CSP port, VLAN/MTU where relevant, optics and locations.
Paths
Protection, diversity and separate transport and application tests.

From design to operation

Compare interfaces and responsibilities before bandwidth alone; validate a complete connection with the CSP.

Complements, alternatives and variants

Product sources

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