Gigabit networking on the public transmission network

The evolution of the public network, from gigabit transmission to gigabit networking, is examined from the perspective of a telephone operating company. The relationship between technology push and service pull and the impact that both have on network architectures are considered. The network transition is discussed to identify ways of cost effectively deploying key enabling technologies (such as asynchronous fibre systems and SONET) in advance of end-user requirements.<>