Long Reach Ethernet (LRE) was a proprietary networking protocol marketed by Cisco Systems, intended to support multi-megabit (5 to 15 Mbit/s) performance over telephone-grade unshielded twisted pair wiring over distances up to 5,000 feet (1.5 km).
[1] Supporting such distance ranges, LRE is technically classified as a Metropolitan area network (MAN) technology.
Like standard VDSL, LRE allowed existing telephone wiring that connects an organization's offices to be used to network those offices together using standard Ethernet protocol without incurring the huge cost of deploying fiber-optic cable or limiting organizations to the bandwidth provided by modems or other digital subscriber line services.
Other sample applications included Internet access to hotel rooms or college dormitories over existing installed telephone wiring.
[8] Cisco announced end-of-sale for the LRE products in October 2006, and its explanation page was removed from their web site in 2007.