The integration of SONET into switching equipment: the merger of transmission and switching

The concept of integrated transmission and switching equipment using a SONET interface is reviewed. Advantages of integration and some of the generic applications of SONET in interoffice trunking are discussed. The author states that by directly integrating the SONET terminal into switching equipment, the operating company can save floor space, cabling, administration costs, and equipment power while increasing overall functionality. Also SONET appearances will require different treatment owing to their very high capacity and the probability of a mixture of services included within a single fiber. SONET integration may require additional functionality in the combined transmission terminal/switch to groom circuits as they come to the switch matrix itself.<>