Evolving the network toward b-isdn

Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN) is the target network architecture for supporting telecommunications services in the 1990s and beyond, B-ISDN capabilities are expected to be introduced in the early to mid-1990s, and use the Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) for transmission and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) for multiplexing and switching. The embedded network has significantly different characteristics than the future B-ISDN, and will evolve gradually as new B-ISDN capabilities are introduced. This evolution must make advantage of the embedded base of equipment and produce either new revenue streams or reductions in the first cost of new equipment or in operations cost. This paper discusses some possible scenarios for the economical introduction of B-ISDN network capabilities and the evolution of the supporting network architecture.