ABSTRACT
Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology is to provide a platform to integrate various access node technologies such as wireless, plain old telephony, data, and cable-TV. It offers an affordable and easy access among the networks based on these diverse access technologies. Due to globalization of communication and the need for offering combined services such as voice, video and data, the networks built on these access and transport technologies had to be interconnected. This chapter focuses on how ATM technology can be applied in each of these areas to provide interconnectivity. It discusses the interoperability feature of ATM technology with Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and other data networks. The migration from PSTN to ATM networks is take an evolutionary path and occurs over time. The key factors for continuing to use the PSTN network for the traditional voice traffic instead of immediately moving to ATM network are: cost and availability.
