Chapter 7: ATM in the Access Network

Chapter 7: ATM in the Access Network

?Technology which has brought meaning to the lives of many technicians.?

?adapted from Ed Bluestone

Overview

The deployment of access networks using copper pair and radio technology differs from the deployment of those using optical fiber, since copper and radio are already established media. More advanced copper systems will be deployed by traditional operators in particular applications because of the advantage of using an existing copper infrastructure, and these may support ATM, particularly for new services such as VoD, maybe easing the eventual transition to optical fiber. Radio systems will continue to be deployed and will be especially useful, since they allow service to be provided without the need for a cabled infrastructure, and they may also support ATM. However, it is optical-fiber systems that will provide the greatest opportunity for the deployment of ATM in the access network, although it may be in conjunction with coaxial cable, especially in the United States.

The discussion of ATM in the access network is made more difficult because a large number of acronyms are used. Readers may wish to refer to the list of acronyms and abbreviations in the back of this book if these acronyms become confusing.

7.1 An Overview of Atm

ATM is an approach to transmission, switching, and multiplexing aimed at creating a communications fabric that is common across a number of different supporting technologies. The basic unit of ATM communications is a constant-length packet, known as an ATM cell , which...

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Chapter 7: ATM in the Access Network

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