Advantages of MPLS

· MPLS enables a single converged network to support both new and legacy services, creating an efficient migration path to an IP-based infrastructure. MPLS operates over both legacy (DS3, SONET) and new infrastructure (10/100/1000/10G Ethernet) and networks (IP, ATM, Frame Relay, Ethernet, and TDM).

· MPLS enables traffic engineering. Explicit traffic routing and engineering help squeeze more data into available bandwidth.

· MPLS supports the delivery of services with Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. Packets can be marked for high quality, enabling providers to maintain a specified low end-to-end latency for voice and video.

· MPLS reduces router processing requirements, since routers simply forward packets based on fixed labels.

· MPLS provides the appropriate level of security to make IP as secure as Frame Relay in the WAN, while reducing the need for encryption on public IP networks.

· MPLS VPNs scale better than customer-based VPNs since they are provider-network-based, reducing the configuration and management requirements for the customer.