Compared to PBB and its predecessors, PBB-TE behaves more predictably and its behavior can be more easily controlled by the network operator, at the expense of requiring up-front connection configuration at each bridge along a forwarding path.
The backbone edge bridges map frames to and from an I-SID and perform the MAC header encapsulation and decapsulation functions.
By eliminating any broadcasting or flooding, and by using only the loop-free forwarding paths configured by management, there is no longer any need to use a spanning tree protocol.
In case of work path failure (as indicated by loss of 802.1ag continuity check messages, CCMs) the source bridge swaps the B-VID value to redirect the traffic onto the preconfigured protection path within 50 ms. PBB-TE equipment leverages economies of scale inherent in Ethernet, promising solutions that are 30% to 40% cheaper than T-MPLS networks with identical features and capabilities,[3] giving PBB-TE a better overall return on investment.
The company championed the technology and brought it to the IEEE 802.1 committee where it was renamed to PBB-TE and a working group, P802.1Qay, was chartered on May 7, 2007.