Which customer's needs have to be served by ATM?

Examples for enhanced applications and services identified by market studies and field trials for bit rates faster than 2*64 kb/s (ISDN) are described. The relationship between asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and the application-oriented view is investigated, and aspects of evolution from present networks to a unique target network are identified. In this context FAS, PON, and SDH and MAN philosophies are of special interest. Moreover, the evolutionary process towards an ATM network in a given timeframe is discussed.<
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